ABSTRACT
Research in self-identity after acquired brain injury (ABI) was addressed in a keynote speech by Professor Barbara Wilson in 2010 as one of the top ten cutting-edge developments in the field of neurorehabilitation. In comparison to psychological adjustment after brain injury, the literature focusing specifically on identity and identity reconstruction after ABI is relatively sparse. Changes in physical appearance have also been found to contribute to poor self-concept after ABI due to perceived or actual negative reactions from the public. The impact of physical impairment and loss of mobility on the sense of self has received the most attention in the ABI literature. The broader research on self-identity after ABI has mainly focused on self-concept or self-esteem, rather than self-identity and how identity is (re)constructed after ABI. In addition, accounts from ABI survivors themselves have not been seen as reliable or as important sources of information.
