An acquired brain injury (ABI) can be caused by an injury or illness and can take many different forms, including a traumatic brain injury, stroke, meningitis, brain tumour, among others. The effects can be varied, ranging from physical, emotional, cognitive (thinking and information processing) and behavioural. Many of these common effects are non-visible, leading to ABI being considered in many cases as a ‘hidden disability’. Frustratingly for many brain injury survivors and their carers, anecdotal evidence suggests that this ‘hidden’ nature of brain injury often leads to a lack of appropriate understanding and support being offered.
Our Action for Brain Injury Week 2022 campaign, See the hidden me, aims to explore this further in order to raise awareness of brain injury being a hidden disability. We hope that the findings from this report and other campaign activities in this area will help others to understand the non-visible, albeit life-changing impact of sustaining an ABI.
In February 2022, we launched a survey to explore the feelings and experiences of those affected by ABI around brain injury being a hidden disability. The survey was designed to be completed by brain injury survivors or anyone caring for someone with a brain injury (partners, family members, friends, etc).
We advertised the survey via our website, social media and Headway’s network of groups and branches across the UK. Electronic and paper copies of the survey were available.
The survey was completed by 2,682 respondents, providing a large sample to gain an accurate picture of the emotions and challenges of living with a hidden disability.
Survey results
Download the full study report in the 'Related Resources' section below.