Everyday activities outside the home are a struggle: Narratives from two persons with acquired brain injury

Background: Participation restriction is a common consequence after acquired brain injury (ABI).Aim: To explore and identify problematic situations in everyday activities outside the home for persons with acquired brain injury.Material and Method: Two persons of working age with ABI were included. Data were generated through repeated semi-structured interviews and participant observations. Narrative analysis was used to capture ongoing processes related to problematic situations during engagement in everyday activities outside the home.Results: The narratives reflect how places, everyday activities and social relations were closely connected and influenced engagement in everyday activities outside the home. The participants visited fewer places and performed more of their everyday activities alone in their homes after the injury compared to before. They were struggling to create meaning in their lives and trying to reformulate their identity. Problematic situations often occurred outside the home as a result of unexpected events. The narratives indicate a struggle to find new routines to handle challenging situations.Conclusions: The results provide an understanding of how problematic situations occurred and were managed in different ways. By observing everyday situations professionals can gain access to how persons with ABI act in and reflect upon problematic situations which can eventually improve the design of individually tailored interventions.