This week, we are supporting Action for Brain Injury 2021. This year’s campaign focuses on ‘A Life of Lockdown’ and the social isolation felt by brain injury survivors both at present and prior to the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Prior to the pandemic, many brain injury survivors reported feelings of isolation. A 2018 study by the charity Headway demonstrated that 69% of brain injury survivors experienced loss of friendships and 44% reported breakdown in their family relationships.
There are many factors causing survivors to experience loneliness. One is identified as the ‘new me’, which is difficult for family and friends to accept. Some survivors also become fatigued when socialising, making it hard to maintain friendships.
For many survivors, the effect of Covid-19 has exacerbated their brain injury symptoms and 62% now fear for their future. Early rehabilitation is often vital for survivors to regain independence and recover lost skills. Unfortunately, over half of survivors lost access to rehabilitation services due to lockdown measures, impeding their progress and potentially worsening the long-term impact of their brain injury.
Along with the loss of rehabilitation, 64% of brain injury survivors reported a deterioration in their mental health, including increased anxiety and depression. Headway describes the psychological impact of Covid-19 as ‘troubling’, as it can be exacerbated by the psychological effects of brain injury that are already present.
Throughout this week, our Personal Injury team will be sharing a series of blogs focusing on the impact of lockdown on brain injury survivors. We will also be supporting Hats for Headway on Friday 21st May to help raise awareness.
If you or a family member has been impacted by a brain injury and would like a confidential discussion with our experienced Personal Injury team, please call us for free on 01484 821 500, or submit your claim online and a member of the team will get back to you as soon as possible.