The effects of brain injury are complex and varied, causing a range of physical, psychological and mental health difficulties. A brain injury can affect someone’s personality and behaviour as well as their cognitive abilities and mental health – and all of these aspects can be inter-related, creating additional challenges.

Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, Dr Seth Mensah, is a key member of our team, supporting service users by treating and managing a range of mental health conditions. Here he gives his view on acquired brain injury rehabilitation.

“It has been widely established that acquired brain injury can result in significant and lifelong psychiatric and neuropsychiatric complications, which are responsible for at least as much disability as the associated physical symptoms.

These psychiatric effects of ABI: (i) interfere with rehabilitative interventions, (ii) are often associated with risks such as family disintegration, loss of accommodation, reduced access to rehabilitation or community facilities and conflict with the law, and (iii) more importantly, affect the survivor’s ability to function autonomously following their discharge from structured medical rehabilitative settings and place untold limitations upon their attempt to reintegrate into family and community life.

Neuropsychiatric disability, as sequelae of acquired brain injury, often limits participation in post-acute neurorehabilitation, which consequently leads to failure to exploit and attain the full potential for recovery for the survivor of brain injury. For families, this poses difficulties in terms of acceptance and adjustment.

Hospital-based and community-based rehabilitation, the goal of which is to help the survivor of brain injury achieve the maximum degree of return to their previous level of functioning, is therefore particularly crucial for those who develop neuropsychiatric disability.

Richardson Care blends an enabling and safe environment together with a very highly skilled and experienced specialist multidisciplinary clinical and care team where the service user, the survivor of acquired brain injury, is at the centre of all care, treatment and rehabilitation. This sets Richardson Care apart from many other community-based acquired brain injury health and care providers across the United Kingdom.”

Dr Seth Mensah MB ChB, MSc, DPM, MRCPsych
Consultant Neuropsychiatrist