| The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that of the approximately 1.2 million people who sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a given year, one million of these people will be treated and released from the emergency room, 50,000 people will die as a result of the injury, and 80,000 people will experience the onset of long-term disability as a result of the TBI (CDC, 1999). The injuries that result from TBI span a wide range of severity and complexity that ranges from complete dependence to total independence. People who sustain severe injuries may remain in a coma for many years or have disabilities that result in complete dependence, while others who sustain TBI may return to work and a life similar to that experienced prior to the injury (O'Neill et al., 1998). Consequences of TBI vary greatly and are often responsible for a multitude of potential outcomes following the injury.; The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of leisure involvement on the sense of coherence and psychological well-being of persons who have sustained a traumatic brain injury. While it seems likely that leisure will influence a person's sense of coherence and psychological well-being, the ways in which leisure affects these constructs is unknown. Therefore, this study will examine whether dimensions of leisure involvement (social support [SS], level of participation in leisure [LP], and intrapersonal outcomes [IO]) have direct, indirect, or moderating effects on sense of coherence and psychological well-being for individual's who have sustained a TBI.; Eighty-three individuals who had sustained a TBI participated in the study. Participants were recruited through state affiliates of the Brain Injury Association of America (BIA). Participants were mailed a questionnaire that measured social support in leisure, intrapersonal outcomes in leisure (IOLI), level of leisure participation, sense of coherence (SOC), and psychological well-being (PWB), as well as demographic characteristics. Predictor variables included the IOLI, social support in leisure, level of participation in leisure activities, and SOC. The dependent variable was psychological well-being.; Regression analysis was used to assess the influence of the leisure-related variables and sense of coherence on psychological well-being. Results of the study indicate that leisure related variables do influence psychological well-being in individuals who have sustained a TBI. Specifically, social support and intrapersonal outcomes appear to be strong predictors of psychological well-being. Implications for practitioners and recommendations for future study are discussed. |
