An investigation into the perceptions and representations of brain injuries among third-level psychology students and the general public

Aims: While some brain injury survivors are symptom-free, some experience a range of problems for years and beyond. One identified consequence of this includes how a survivor is perceived. Therefore, this study aimed to qualitatively explore the perceptions and representations of brain injuries. Methods: 119 participants completed an adapted version of the perceptions and representations of mental illnesses questionnaire which qualitatively explored their knowledge and acceptance of brain injuries. The participants were recruited as either undergraduate psychology students (n=44) or from the general population (n=75). Results: A thematic analysis identified (i) psychological awareness and (ii) attitudes towards the healthcare system and the treatment of brain injuries as the two main themes. No differences in regard to depth of knowledge about brain injuries nor acceptance towards brain injuries were found between either population category. Empathy towards brain injury survivors mirrored each other in both category populations. Discussion: Analysis of these results suggest that participants had a significant awareness of brain injuries especially demonstrated by the subtheme of emotional awareness in which participants expressed compassion and empathy towards brain injury survivors