Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

5-2018

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Department

Communicative Disorders

Degree Program

Communicative Disorders, MS

Committee Chair

Pitts, Teresa

Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)

Smith, Alan

Committee Member

Mattingly, Rhonda

Author's Keywords

misconceptions; traumatic brain injury; coma and unconsciousness; memory loss; recovery; concussion

Abstract

This study utilized a convenience sample (n = 510) to investigate misconceptions of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among first and second year graduate students in physical therapy (PT), occupational therapy (OT), and speech-language pathology (SLP) training programs. Eighty-six-point-seven percent of participants were female, and 87.70% were white. All participants completed a survey comprised of items relating to general information about TBI, coma and unconsciousness, memory loss, recovery, and concussion. Descriptive and summary statistics indicated the persistence of misconceptions regarding coma and unconsciousness, memory loss, recovery, and concussion among graduate students in PT, OT, and SLP training programs. Group comparisons were conducted to identify differences according to discipline (PT, OT, or SLP) and university designation (first or second year graduate student). Kruskall-Wallis analyses revealed no statistically significant difference in knowledge across disciplines regarding general information about TBI or recovery, however there was a statistically significant difference regarding knowledge of coma and unconsciousness, memory loss, and concussion. Mann-Whitney analyses revealed no significant difference in knowledge of general information about TBI, coma and unconsciousness, or recovery according to university designation, however there was a statistically significant difference in knowledge of memory loss and concussion.

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