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dc.contributor.advisorKendall, Elizabeth
dc.contributor.authorBursnall, Samantha
dc.date.accessioned2018-01-23T02:24:39Z
dc.date.available2018-01-23T02:24:39Z
dc.date.issued2004
dc.identifier.doi10.25904/1912/3367
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10072/365956
dc.description.abstractThis study developed a comprehensive framework for understanding the process of sibling adjustment to pediatric acquired brain injury (ABI). Grounded theory methodology was employed to inductively explore the issues siblings perceived to be their main concerns and how they managed these concerns. Fifty-three interviews were conducted recursively with twenty child and adolescent siblings of individuals with an ABI, four adult siblings of individuals with an ABI and four child and adolescent siblings of individuals with congenital disability. Observational and secondary data from hospital staff and parents were also analyzed. The framework was developed and verified through simultaneous data collection and analysis (Glaser, 1978; Strauss & Corbin, 1990). The main issue of concern for siblings following their brother or sister's ABI was the loss of equilibrium in their lives. Losing equilibrium was defined by the concepts of vulnerability and emotional turmoil. Specifically, following ABI, siblings were confronted with the vulnerability of their assumptive world, which was influenced by their exposure to unforeseen circumstances, mortality, the enduring nature of their brother or sister’s injury, and the perceived vulnerability of their family unit. In response to these losses, siblings experienced emotional turmoil, including acute anxiety, chronic worry, ambivalent emotions and disenfranchised grief. Losing equilibrium was an ongoing concern for siblings that threatened their sense of security, safety, predictability and control for many years post injury. To manage these ongoing concerns, siblings employed a variety of interrelated strategies to regain equilibrium. These strategies were conceptualized by the concepts, navigating and sacrificing. The purpose of these strategies was to restore safety, predictability and control in the siblings' environment. Navigating required siblings to negotiate the enduring disequilibrium in their lives, by challenging new rules with old tools, withdrawal, trying and buying, merging the familiar and the unfamiliar and integrating. Sacrificing required siblings to relinquish their needs and desires to regain equilibrium and was illustrated through the concepts, surrogate parent, surrendering parental attention, emotional repression, and self-blame. These self-sacrificing strategies appeared to influence siblings' long-term personal development. For instance, siblings believed that they became more responsible, understanding, tolerant, and cautious in everyday activities. The data indicated that these personal changes subsequently maintained siblings sacrificing behaviors. Although sacrificing strategies were employed by some siblings from the time of the ABI, most siblings mastered their loss of equilibrium through the navigating process. Like the non-finite nature of losing equilibrium, regaining equilibrium was an ongoing cyclical process. Rather than focusing on adjustment outcomes only, the current study has extended previous research by providing a framework for understanding the process of sibling adjustment to ABI. This framework provides a set of integrated categories, concepts, hypotheses and propositions to inform future research and practice.
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherGriffith University
dc.publisher.placeBrisbane
dc.rights.copyrightThe author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise.
dc.subject.fieldofresearchPublic Health and Health Services
dc.subject.fieldofresearchSocial Work
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode1117
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode1607
dc.subject.keywordsbrain
dc.subject.keywordsinjury
dc.subject.keywordsdamage
dc.subject.keywordschild
dc.subject.keywordschildren
dc.subject.keywordspediatric
dc.subject.keywordsacquired
dc.subject.keywordsadjustment
dc.subject.keywordsequilibrium
dc.subject.keywordssibling
dc.subject.keywordssiblings
dc.subject.keywordsbrother
dc.subject.keywordsbrothers
dc.subject.keywordssister
dc.subject.keywordssisters
dc.subject.keywordsadolescent
dc.subject.keywordsadolescents
dc.subject.keywordsadolescence
dc.subject.keywordsadult
dc.subject.keywordsadults
dc.titleRegaining Equilibrium: Understanding the Process of Sibling Adjustment to Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury
dc.typeGriffith thesis
gro.rights.copyrightThe author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise.
gro.hasfulltextFull Text
dc.contributor.otheradvisorBuys, Nick
dc.rights.accessRightsPublic
gro.identifier.gurtIDgu1315285810893
gro.identifier.ADTnumberadt-QGU20040514.114829
gro.source.ADTshelfnoADT0
gro.source.GURTshelfnoGURT
gro.thesis.degreelevelThesis (PhD Doctorate)
gro.thesis.degreeprogramDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
gro.departmentSchool of Human Services
gro.griffith.authorBursnall, Samantha
gro.griffith.authorKendall, Elizabeth


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