Time after injury
|
Possible emerging factors
|
| 0-24 h (immediate symptoms) |
Mainly organic factors |
| 1 day-4 weeks (early symptoms) |
Overdoing and failing tasks |
| |
Increase in life demands following recuperation |
| |
Misattribution of symptoms to malignant causes that have been missed |
| |
Difficulties coping with cognitive impairments |
| |
Initial concerns regarding longevity of symptoms/disabilities |
| |
Dissonance regarding severity of head injury and severity of
symptoms/disabilities |
| 1-6 months (medium-term symptoms) |
Unhelpful premorbid schemas and coping responses related to managing abnormal
life events; inability to complete tasks; frustration and ‘mind over
matter’ coping |
| |
Concerns regarding potential permanence of symptoms |
| |
Unhelpful strategies for coping with uncertainty (particularly uncertain
aetiology of symptoms) |
| |
Misperception of having suffered a severe brain injury |
| Over 6 months (long-term or possibily permanent symptoms) |
Lack of understanding/belief from others |
| |
Compensation-claim factors |
| |
Issues relating to adjustment to long-term disability |
|
Unhelpful ‘secondary’ coping strategies (those employed following
failure of initial strategies)
|