Background:The overarching cultural context of the brain injury survivor, particularly that related to minority peoples with a history of colonisation and discrimination, has rarely been referred to in the research literature, despite profoundly influencing a person’s recovery journey in significant ways, including access to services. This study highlights issues faced by Australian Aboriginal traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors in terms of real-life consequences of the high incidence of TBI in this population, current treatment and long-term challenges.Method:A case study approach utilised qualitative interview and file review data related to five male Aboriginal TBI survivors diagnosed with acquired communication disorders. The five TBI survivors were from diverse areas of rural and remote Western Australia, aged between 19 and 48 years at the time of injury, with a range of severity.Case Reports:Common themes included: significant long-term life changes; short-term and long-term dislocation from family and country as medical intervention and rehabilitation were undertaken away from the person’s rural/remote home; family adjustments to the TBI including permanent re-location to a metropolitan area to be with their family member in residential care; challenges related to lack of formal rehabilitation services in rural areas; poor communication channels; poor cultural security of services; and lack of consistent follow-up.Discussion and Conclusion:These case reports represent some of the first documented stories of Aboriginal Australian TBI survivors. They supplement available epidemiological data and highlight different contexts for Aboriginal people after TBI, contributing to an overall profile that is relevant for rehabilitation service planning.

中文翻译：

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“我必须自己划船，或多或少”：澳大利亚原住民脑外伤的经历

背景：脑损伤幸存者的总体文化背景，特别是与具有殖民和歧视历史的少数民族有关的文化背景，尽管在显着方面深刻影响了一个人的康复之旅，包括获得服务。本研究强调了澳大利亚原住民创伤性脑损伤 (TBI) 幸存者在该人群中 TBI 高发病率的现实后果、当前治疗和长期挑战方面面临的问题。方法：案例研究方法利用定性访谈和与五名被诊断患有获得性交流障碍的男性土著 TBI 幸存者有关的文件审查数据。五名 TBI 幸存者来自西澳大利亚农村和偏远地区的不同地区，受伤时年龄在 19 至 48 岁之间，严重程度不同。病例报告：常见主题包括：重大的长期生活变化；由于医疗干预和康复是在远离该人的农村/偏远家中进行的，因此与家庭和国家的短期和长期脱臼；家庭对 TBI 的调整，包括永久搬迁到大都市区，与家人一起接受住院护理；与农村地区缺乏正规康复服务有关的挑战；沟通渠道不畅；服务的文化安全性差；和缺乏一致的后续行动。讨论和结论：这些病例报告代表了澳大利亚原住民 TBI 幸存者的一些最早记录的故事。