Objective:The aim of this qualitative study was to understand processes involved in the maintenance and development of friendships after a person sustains a traumatic brain injury (TBI).Method:Four people with severe TBI from rural settings in Australia identified one-to-two friends to be interviewed. A total of nine friends participated in a semi-structured interview. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and data was analyzed using principles of grounded theory.Results:The overall conceptualisation that emerged from the data described the process of friends actively placing themselves within the friendship with the person with TBI. Two major processes were evident which enabled friends to actively place themselves within the friendship. They were (1) making sense of the TBI and its consequences and (2) maintaining normality in the friendship.Conclusions:Friendships can be maintained following a TBI when friends actively place themselves within the friendships. Friends are able to do this when they make sense of the TBI and its consequences and maintain normality. There are a variety of ways that friends achieve this.

中文翻译：

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严重创伤性脑损伤后友谊的维持

目的：这项定性研究的目的是了解一个人遭受创伤性脑损伤 (TBI) 后维持和发展友谊的过程。方法：来自澳大利亚农村地区的四名患有严重 TBI 的人确定了一对二接受采访的朋友。共有九位朋友参加了半结构化面试。访谈被逐字转录，数据使用扎根理论原则进行分析。结果：从数据中得出的整体概念描述了朋友积极地将自己置于与 TBI 人的友谊中的过程。两个主要的过程很明显，使朋友能够积极地将自己置于友谊中。他们（1）理解 TBI 及其后果，（2）保持友谊的正常。结论：当朋友积极地将自己置于友谊中时，可以在 TBI 后维持友谊。当朋友了解 TBI 及其后果并保持正常时，他们能够做到这一点。朋友可以通过多种方式实现这一目标。