| Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of disability among young adults in the United States. A major negative outcome from TBI is loss of employment, which is a source of diminished quality of life and economic stress for TBI survivors, their families, caregivers, and society, which often has to bear the costs. There is clear evidence that communication skills are important for successful employment in general, but little progress has been made in specifying the types of communication skills necessary for successful return to work in adults with TBI. In addition, based on literature searches, no published study has characterized the communication demands of different types of jobs.;This dissertation research combined qualitative and quantitative methods to address this gap in knowledge. First, this research identified characteristics of competent communication for a specified occupational category, semiprofessional work (Aim 1). Aim 1.1 used qualitative interview procedures to characterize vocational communication variables related to semi-professional jobs. In Aim 1.2 these variables were matched to standardized tests of communication functions. Then, Aim 2 divided a sample of 31 participants with TBI into two groups: stably employed adults with TBI vs. those unable to maintain semi-professional employment post-injury. Both groups were administered the tests identified in Aim 1.2. A multiple logistic regression model was used to test the hypothesis that communication variables differentiate stably employed from unstably employed persons with TBI.;Findings from this study contribute to research on outcomes from TBI and address translation of laboratory-based measures to outcomes in everyday life. |
