Many psychological theories posit that certain developmental tasks are of primary importance during adolescence and early adulthood. These tasks may include establishing an identity, breaking away from the family of origin, and starting a job path. Many sociocultural factors influence the timing and importance of these and other tasks. This study will examine the perceived effects, if any, of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury (SCI) in the life-story narratives of young adults. The impact of disability will be examined by contrasting the responses of these individuals to a matched sample of individuals without a disability. Using grounded theory, the stories will be examined for themes about identity and """"""""typical"""""""" developmental tasks. Linguistic analyses will also be done, because there is some evidence that narrative ability may be compromised by a brain injury. Fifty participants between 18 and 34 will be drawn from a larger quality of life study. Individuals' injuries will have occurred during high school, so school services might have been provided.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
5F31GM019526-05
Application #
6518817
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG2-SSS-F (06))
Program Officer
Rene, Anthony
Project Start
2002-02-09
Project End
Budget Start
2002-02-09
Budget End
2003-02-08
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$22,056
Indirect Cost
Name
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Department
Physical Medicine & Rehab
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
114400633
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10029