Traumatic brain injury affects approximately 450 people every day in Canada and is a leading cause of disability nationally and globally. These injuries can lead to life-long disability and health problems, and people who sustain them often experience decreased quality of life, poor mental health, and long-term unemployment.
There is a critical gap in the development and delivery of programs and services that help people with traumatic brain injury to improve their health. Current health services focus on areas of impairment rather than personally-important priorities for rehabilitation. In addition, participatory research, which engages people with traumatic brain injury and community organizations as active partners, is underused in the development of rehabilitation programs.
My goal is to implement a peer support program for people with traumatic brain injury. I will use a partnered approach, in which people with traumatic brain injury and members of their community are leaders in the project. This will ensure that the research answers to their needs and values. Ultimately, this research will improve the access to services, health, and quality of life of people with traumatic brain injury in Canada.