Advert shared on behalf of researchers at the University of Liverpool.
What is the aim of the study?
The aim of the study is to better understand women’s experiences of being a mother with an acquired brain injury (ABI). An ABI is damage to the brain which happens after birth. It can include having a stroke, tumour, infection, or trauma directly to the head such as a fall or car crash. Over the last 15 years the number of women who have experienced an ABI has massively increased. However, there is still little information about what is it like to be a mother with an ABI, who has a child(ren) aged 18 years or younger. We want to understand what being a mother means, if there are any changes to the way you parent, and the challenges and positives of parenting, after ABI.
What will happen?
You can contact Ellie Knight (student investigator) directly using her email address on the poster. Or the Headway gatekeeper will ask your consent to pass your contact details onto Ellie.
A meeting will be set up via videocall or telephone call with Ellie. She will explain the study in more detail, check that you meet the inclusion criteria, talk about how the interview could be made more accessible for you and answer any questions you have. She will also explain that you might find some of the questions upsetting as you are having to think about your abilities as a mother before and after ABI. If you think you will be too distressed to answer the questions, then you will be advised not to participate. Give the nature of this study, we are asking that children are not present during the interview as to ensure that your responses reflect your true experiences within a controlled environment.
You will then have a week to decide if you want to take part in the study. Ellie will recontact you for your decision. If you decide you want to take part, she will ask you for some basic demographic information and a suitable time/ date for the interview will be arranged. This will online via Microsoft Teams or Zoom or if you have difficulties accessing technology and live in North-west of England, at your home. The interview will last approximately 45-60 minutes. You will have some time before the interview to ask Ellie questions. She will also provide a consent form for you to sign including if you would like the findings of the study once it has ended. You will be invited to talk about experiences of being a mother to a child(ren) aged 18 or under at the time of your ABI. After the interview you will be given a debrief sheet.
Participant inclusion criteria:
At the time of your ABI you were a mother to a child(ren) aged 18 years or younger.
You also have had a period of time since leaving hospital to resume your parenting role since the ABI.
You can remember and communicate your experiences as a mother before and after ABI, in English.
Participant exclusion criteria:
Women who have become a mother only since their ABI.
Mothers under 18 at the time of in interview.
Experience of significant cognitive and/ or communicative difficulties that would function as a barrier to describing their experience of being a mother pre- and post-injury despite reasonable adjustments.
Insufficient understanding of English to consent to and complete interview.
Contact details:
If you require more information about this study, please contact:
Student Investigator: Ellie Knight, ellie.knight@liverpool.ac.uk
Principal Investigator: Dr Hannah Twiddy, h.twiddy@liverpool.ac.uk
This research project was approved by the University of Liverpool ethics committee on 04/07/24.
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