Examining Leisure Re-Engagement and Its Relationship With Self-Regulation After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Cross-Sectional Study

Engagement in leisure activities is a significant contributor to health. Individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) report not returning to pre-injury levels of leisure participation. Self-regulation (SR) is a possible factor of limited re-engagement. This study aimed to examine leisure re-engagement patterns and the impact of SR on these patterns. Fifty-five adults with TBI were included in a cross-sectional study. Participants completed a leisure activity survey, rating engagement before and after injury. Participants and an informant completed the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe) to assess SR. Leisure was significantly lower after injury than before injury, t(54) = 3.83, p <.001. The FrSBe apathy score was significantly associated with lower re-engagement (eta = 0.42) and may predict engagement after injury (ΔR² =.09, p <.05). Apathy may contribute to difficulty re-engaging in leisure activities. Re-engagement in leisure activities should be a focus of occupational therapy intervention after TBI.