Abstract
Aims: Culturally appropriate community education about brain injury prevention and supporting people with brain injury and their families is needed in Australian Indigenous communities. Narrative therapy offers a useful method in rehabilitation that may be particularly appropriate for Indigenous people. This paper aims to explore and describe the impact of sharing personal stories on film by Australian Indigenous families who have experienced acquired brain injury (ABI). Methods: Participatory Action Research approaches were used in the production of films describing personal stories of brain injury for three Australian Indigenous men and their families. Participants were involved in the conceptualization, development, filming and launch of the films in their own communities (one urban, one rural and one remote). The production of the films was followed by individual semi-structured interviews with film participants. Thematic analysis of interview data was undertaken. Results: While produced as an educational digital video disc (DVD) resource for improving brain injury prevention awareness and support in Australian Indigenous communities, participants identified five themes related to the benefits and challenges of the narrative filmmaking process, namely the motivation to tell their story, the experience of making the film, the social impact and benefits, the importance of the launch and the untold stories that remain. Conclusion: Storytelling by Australian Indigenous families through film was perceived by individuals with ABI and their families to have important personal benefits in addition to providing a culturally relevant community education resource. A recognition of the film as merely a snapshot in time is necessary however and ongoing opportunities for storytelling should be sought. Community launches of such resources are important for supporting families affected by brain injury and increasing awareness in their communities.
Highlights
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) describes all types of damage to the brain that occur after birth and typically excludes neurodegenerative disorders
In Australia, rates of stroke and traumatic brain injury are high in Aboriginal communities with the recorded rate of ABI at least three times higher for Australian Indigenous Peoples, than for non-indigenous people [8,9,10]
Based on the identified need within Australian Indigenous communities for culturally relevant resources, the plan to develop a digital video disc (DVD) film as a community education tool was made in collaboration and partnership with the communities involved in the larger project
Summary
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) describes all types of damage to the brain that occur after birth and typically excludes neurodegenerative disorders. Most frequently this involves stroke or traumatic brain injury. A systematic review of 26 international studies on Indigenous people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) found research gaps around level of injury and/or treatment, neuropsychological assessment, indigenous perspectives, interventions and rehabilitation [12]. This was especially the case for Indigenous Australians as compared to other nations (e.g. New Zealand and Canada). Despite the increased prevalence of ABI in Indigenous communities, the uptake of rehabilitation services after injury is extremely low [13]
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