抄録
Continuity of Life is a novel concept that can be defined as the degree to which an adverse event or process (such as acquired brain injury) has interrupted the continuity of an individual’s life with regard to his or her activities, hopes and plans. This perceived degree of interruption is assessed within a number of life domains such as access to material possessions and earnings; personal physical and mental health; relationships with family members and friends; work, studies and professional career; leisure and recreation; rights, duties and responsibilities; and personal beliefs and/or religious faith. The Continuity of Life Interview (COLI) is a related assessment tool developed and evaluated by consumers, clinicians and academics experienced in rehabilitation and recovery. The COLI is aimed at assessing an individual’s perception of illness- or injury-related disruption of, or interference with, relevant life areas and global life quality regarding present state and plans for the future. The instrument is a semi-structured interview schedule which has been evaluated for its feasibility (i.e. duration of the interview, comprehensibility of the main questions and other procedural, textual and rating issues), inter-rater and test-retest reliability. The Continuity of Life concept and instrument are currently being evaluated in a study which aims to implement and evaluate an 8-week mindfulness program, combined with psychoeducation for people with an acquired brain injury and their carers, who attend the State Head Injury Unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, Australia. The specific objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the mindfulness program in improving quality and continuity of life in patients with acquired brain injury.
