This research adds to scarce literature regarding adolescent experiences of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Retrospective accounts of young adults who had sustained a TBI in adolescence were analysed to explore the perceived impact this had on their lives and forming identities during this important developmental stage.

Thirteen adults (aged 20–25 years; mean 23 years) who sustained a mild or moderate TBI during adolescence (i.e. aged 13–17 years at injury), approximately 7.7 years (range = 6.7–8.0 years) prior, participated in the research. Semi-structured individual interviews, analysed using thematic analysis, explored participants’ experiences following their TBIs.

Thematic analysis of interview data produced two categories of themes: (1) Impacts on Important Areas of Life, which included: schoolwork suffered, career opportunities became limited, struggling with work and missing out socially; and (2) Impacts on Identity: with themes including feeling ‘stupid’, feeling self-conscious, loss of social identity and being dependent.

TBI sustained during adolescence can have broad impacts on important areas of life and on developing identity.

这项研究增加了关于青少年创伤性脑损伤 (TBI) 经历的稀缺文献。分析了在青春期遭受 TBI 的年轻人的回顾性描述，以探索这对他们的生活和在这个重要的发展阶段形成身份的感知影响。

13 名成年人（年龄 20-25 岁；平均 23 岁）在青春期（即受伤时年龄 13-17 岁）遭受轻度或中度 TBI，大约 7.7 岁（范围 = 6.7-8.0 岁）之前参与了研究. 使用主题分析进行分析的半结构化个人访谈探讨了参与者在 TBI 后的经历。

访谈数据的主题分析产生了两类主题： (1) 对生活重要领域的影响，包括：功课受挫、职业机会受限、工作挣扎和社交失落；(2) 对身份的影响：主题包括感觉“愚蠢”、感觉自我意识、丧失社会身份和依赖他人。

青春期持续的 TBI 会对生活的重要领域和发展身份产生广泛影响。