Coping Skill Utilization of Adults with an Acquired Brain Injury During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey study.

Purpose: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic isolated and lowered the quality of life for people with disabilities. This exploratory study examined how adults with an acquired brain injury (ABI) were coping and managing with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic during the beginning of the pandemic and used coping skills to manage their stress. Material and Methods: Ninety-nine adults with a self-reported stroke or traumatic brain injury completed an online survey about level of distress, social support, stress management, resilient coping skills, and perceived benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were classified based on self-report of use of coping skills learned during rehabilitation to cope with the stress of the pandemic. Results: The results showed the Coping Group received more emotional social support, utilized more stress management and coping techniques, and had greater perceived benefits in comparison to the Non-Coping Group. Stress management and resilient coping techniques were associated with greater perceived positive life changes from the pandemic. Conclusion: Use of resilience-based coping techniques and stress management are necessary to adjust to unexpected life stressors. People with an ABI need to develop active coping strategies that can transfer to real world everyday stressful situations and increase resiliency.