A survey of common misconceptions about head injury and recovery.

A survey questionnaire composed of 25 statements about head injury and recovery was administered to 221 individuals at a large regional shopping mall. Survey items were categorized into domains pertaining to the use of seatbelts, the nature of unconsciousness, the nature of amnesia, characteristics associated with brain injury, and recovery from brain injury. An additional 8 survey items inquired about the sources from which people obtained their knowledge, extent of personal experience with brain injury, occupational status, educational status, residential status, and their use of seatbelts. Results indicate substantial levels of misconception about the nature of unconsciousness, amnesia, and recovery, but surprisingly few misconceptions about seatbelts and the effects of brain damage. These findings corroborate clinical observations of gross misconceptions reported in the literature. Specific misconceptions appeared with comparable frequencies across the age groups studied, which indicates that family education for patients in rehabilitation needs to target all members of a family, rather than a designated primary caregiver.