Abstract:
Diminished social interactions are a common outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and
often cause loneliness. As a result of this, those with a TBI commonly experience poor
mental and physical health outcomes compared to those without. Such outcomes can result in
a lower quality of life and slower rehabilitation. Table Talk replicates previous research
carried out among adults with dementia to investigate the efficacy of an easy-to-implement
textual prompt. It was hypothesised that the use of textual prompts would increase mealtime
conversations, promote social connection and improve quality of life among people with a
TBI.
A multi-element design across two homes within a residential rehabilitation organisation was
carried out to investigate the effects textual prompts had on conversation and quality of life
(QOL) among seven participants with a TBI. Results varied between each house, suggesting
that textual prompts may be an effective way to increase conversation and QOL among some
people with a TBI. Despite the varied efficacy of the prompts between houses, most
participants enjoyed the intervention and wanted to continue using the prompts.
A vast majority of conversations that took place during meals were between researchers and
participants, rather than participants and other house members. We suggest that the presence
of a non-house member, such as a rehabilitation assistant, at the dining table may be a simpler
way to promote conversation among people with TBI in this setting. Further research is
required in order to learn individual aspects of participants responsible for the effectiveness
(or non-effectiveness) of the prompts. Examining the generalisation and maintenance of the
intervention and how the presence of a non-house member may affect these outcomes will
add to the small amount of existing research in this area.
