Cultural influences on the coping of family caregivers of individuals with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) within the South Asian community

Online Interviews with family and caregivers within the South Asian community

Download the study poster for more information by clicking HERE

Summary of the research :

Acquired brain injury (ABI) may lead to significant consequences, including cognitive, behavioural and physical changes which may impact on an individual’s level of functioning and independence. Often, ongoing support is needed, this support is often provided by informal caregivers such as family members. Research has shown caring for a family member following an acquired brain injury can be challenging and impact on caregivers’ emotional wellbeing. When dealing with stress, individuals may adopt different ways of coping, and several factors such as cultural influences may impact this.

This study is looking at how cultural values influence the caregiving experience and the way in which family caregivers cope with caring for a family member with an acquired brain injury within the South Asian community.

Previous literature has often focused specifically on specific subtypes of ABI such as traumatic brain injury or stroke populations whereas this study aims to look across different types of acquired brain injury e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke, infection. The most recent UK census data highlights the increase in the Asian population, particularly of those from a South Asian background. This study proposes to look across different types of acquired brain injury to explore cultural influences on the coping of family caregivers within the South Asian community in the UK.

The main research questions are:

1. How do cultural values influence the caregiving experience of family caregivers of individuals with ABI?
2. How do cultural values influence the coping strategies used by family caregivers of individuals with ABI?
3. What barriers or facilitators are there to seeking support from services for this group?

This will be done by carrying out semi-structured interviews with family caregivers of individuals with an acquired brain injury within the South Asian community.

• Those who have agreed to take part will be invited to take part in an interview using Microsoft teams, this will be audio and video recorded using Microsoft teams.

This interview may last 45 to 60 minutes.

Participant Criteria:

• You are aged 18 or over
• You are from a South Asian / British South Asian
  background
• You are a resident in the UK.
• You are a caregiver for a family member with an
  Acquired Brain Injury. You may still participate if
  you receive carers allowance.
• You have sufficent English language skills to
  complete the interview without an interpreter, as
  unfortunately, we are unable to provide this.

If you are a caregiver of a family member with other health conditions and not ABI, then unfortunately,
you are not eligible for this particular study.

All participants that take part will be offered a £15 voucher for their time.

After the interview is finished, participants will be provided with options of support if they feel this would be helpful for them to access.

If you are interested in taking part, or have any questions, please contact the lead researcher: Priya Sharma ps535@leicester.ac.uk