Date of Submission

2020

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Department Chair

Stephanie Felgoise, PhD, ABPP

First Advisor

Donald P. Masey, Psy.D.

Second Advisor

Robert A. DiTomasso, PhD, ABPP

Third Advisor

Karen Lindgren, PhD

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine impaired self-awareness among persons with moderate-to-severe brain injuries, and how it related to functional outcomes in a post-acute rehabilitation setting. Specifically, two self-report measures, the Awareness Questionnaire (AQ) and the Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS), were used to assess deficits in awareness by comparing the patients’ ratings with the clinicians’ ratings. In addition, the study also explored impaired self-awareness as it related to poorer community reintegration (as measured by the MPAI-4 Participation Index Subscale). Of the 40 participants in this study, 40% of participants were found to have impaired self-awareness (based on the AQ and/or PCRS). Overall, the study did not reveal a significant difference between using the AQ and the PCRS to assess awareness within this population. Both instruments were comparable. A Pearson’s product-moment correlation revealed a significant positive correlation between patients’ responses and clinicians’ responses on questions assessing physical abilities on both the AQ and PCRS. The presence of impaired self-awareness did not predict worse functional outcomes or poorer participation within this study. This study also attempted to identify the severity of impaired self-awareness on both questionnaires by creating levels of scores, instead of using only cut-off scores to indicate the presence and absence of impaired self-awareness.

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