Hope for Acquired Brain Injury

What is Acquired Brain Injury?

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is an ‘umbrella term’ for any type of brain injury that happens after you are born. You might be surprised at the range of conditions that are classed as ‘ABI’…


Some common causes of ABI are:

  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

  • Stroke

  • Brain tumour

  • Encephalitis

  • Meningitis

Other causes can also include: hydrocephalus, cerebral abscess, anoxic brain injury, carbon monoxide poisoning, encephalopathy, cerebral oedema, compression of the brain.

Effects of ABI

ABI affects different people in different ways, but there are similarities across the different causes or types of brain injury too.

Some of the common effects of brain injury include:

  • changes in personality

  • difficulties with mobility

  • speech or communication problems

  • difficulties recognising or processing emotions

The effects can last for a short time, or a lifetime. Changes in one function, ability, or area of life, can have a knock-on effect on others – like ripples in a pond.

Positive changes

Over 1.5 million people with ABI struggle with their mental health, and personal or intimate relationships can become strained. Psychological and sexual wellbeing are so closely linked – when one gets worse, so does the other. The good news is, the same applies when one gets better.

What is HOPE4ABI?

It is hard to talk about our own mental health, emotions, and intimacy concerns with other people.

Our research aims to provide a safe, supportive, online place for people with ABI to connect with others who have had similar experiences. This way people can help each other to cope with changes in personal or intimate relationships and mental health after ABI. We are partnering with a range of professionals and organisations to make sure we offer the best support.

Our digital programme will be known as ‘HOPE4ABI’.

Get involved!

We are looking for UK-based adults (over 18 years of age) with ABI to join our research team. We have a variety of paid positions available, to help us co-design and test the HOPE4ABI programme.

For further information or to register your interest, contact the HOPE4ABI Research Team: Hayley.Wright@coventry.ac.uk

trial in progress

Every 90 seconds in the UK, someone has an injury to their head. This is known medically as acquired brain injury (ABI). ABI can cause long-term issues for survivors: a common problem is low mood, which can affect how someone feels about themselves and others. These feelings can cause problems within families, friendships, and intimate relationships. Over 1M people in the UK have long-term depression and/or experience sexual problems because of their brain injury.

 

We have worked with people living with ABI to co-design a new online self-management programme to support mental and sexual wellbeing after brain injury. The programme is called ‘HOPE4ABI’.

HOPE4ABI is an 8-week online course, that can be accessed at times to suit you, so you can work through at your own pace. The programme focuses on support with managing wellbeing, relationships & intimacy.

We delivered two courses as part of the trial from October 2023.

The protocol below describes a feasibility randomised controlled trial of HOPE4ABI, a digital self-management programme to support mental and sexual wellbeing, co-designed with and for people with ABI.

PUBLICATION

Wright, H., Walker-Clarke, A., Drummond, A. et al. Self-directed versus peer-supported digital self-management programmes for mental and sexual wellbeing after acquired brain injury (HOPE4ABI): protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial. Pilot Feasibility Stud 9, 194 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01421-z

 
Projects, Research, Platform hostedGabriela Matouskova