Stakeholder Perspectives on the School Experiences of Students With Traumatic Brain Injury: The Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Service Delivery

Details

• Alternative Title:
  J Sch Health
• Personal Author:
  Unruh, Deanne ; Gomez, Doug ; Slocumb, Jody ; McCart, Melissa ; Davies, Susan ; Haarbauer-Krupa, Juliet ; Glang, Ann
• Description:
  BACKGROUND:
  
  For students with traumatic brain injury (TBI), the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated challenges they were already experiencing at school.
  
  METHODS:
  
  This qualitative study employed focus groups and interviews with students, parents, school, and medical personnel to explore the school experiences of students with TBI. Thematic qualitative analyses were used.
  
  RESULTS:
  
  Key themes from the analysis include (a) incidence of brain injuries decreased; (b) screen time for students with TBI exacerbated symptoms; (c) COVID protocols at school made it difficult for educators to identify and provide accommodations for students with TBI; (d) COVID protocols at school could inadvertently exacerbate mental health difficulties after a TBI; and (e) COVID-related logistics increased the time between an injury and return to school or return to play.
  
  IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY:
  
  The results from this study suggest that professional development for teachers supporting students with TBI is needed, especially for online learning environments. Additionally, because mental/behavioral health concerns may arise for students with TBI in online learning environments, school health care providers can work with families to assess a student’s mental health, making referrals to appropriate supports.
  
  CONCLUSIONS:
  
  There is a significant need for professional development and school-wide infrastructure supportive of students with TBI.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Brain Injuries, Traumatic COVID-19 Humans Pandemics Qualitative Research Students
• Keywords:
  Accommodations Concussion Remote Learning School Services TBI
• Source:
  J Sch Health. 93(5):378-385
• Pubmed ID:
  36394169
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC10507668
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/ImCDC/Intramural CDC HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  93
• Issue:
  5
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:320cdbc0f49d2ef929f6f31af6eb2eaadac7a9e6c3f901a87d0d15b7515795bc41abdf377dd9d963ce4478a059233172c0eba88ba100f43c48edacc0b44e6ec1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/133263/cdc_133263_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 83.41 KB ]