A recent study published in the British Journal of Social work explores the relationship between the insight brain injury survivors have into their own condition and the problems associated with it.
The authors from The Disabilities Trust used the BINI (Brain Injury Needs Indicator) to monitor both the level of recovery after brain injury and the survivors insight into their condition. This provided a better estimate of overall risks and care needs than considering recovery or insight in isolation. Those with lower levels of insight scored higher on risk than those with higher insight, even when the level of recovery was comparable.
In practice, this means that self-report interviews and assessment tools may not always be appropriate to fully assess support needs in people with brain injury, and that seeking the views of someone who knows the person well may uncover hidden needs.
The BINI was originally designed to support social workers and other assessors in their social care assessments of people recovering from an acquired brain injury, and to help them determine what social care support they might need. It is referenced in the Care Act Guidance (point 6.43) as a tool that can be used as part of the assessment to help identify deficits in people with a suspected or diagnosed brain injury.
The published study evidences the validity of the tool as a robust indicator of risk and care need.
The full article can be accessed here.
Registered professionals can request access to the BINI here.