A Narrative Thematic Analysis of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Experiences of Rehabilitation and Disability

The experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) with disability and who participate in rehabilitation are vastly understudied. Using a semistructured interview, storytelling was elicited from 22 participants across 14 families of AAPI individuals with brain and spinal cord-related injuries regarding their experiences with disability, rehabilitation, transition back to home and community life, and perceived factors which facilitated or hindered the recovery process. While injury-specific factors, such as the nature and severity of injury, undoubtedly characterized experiences of disability and rehabilitation, thematic analysis of the data revealed four prominent themes regarding the lived experiences of AAPI patients and their caregivers: (a) family dynamics and roles, (b) collectivistic values and social connectedness, (c) cultural barriers to postinjury adjustment, and (d) health care access issues. Based on these findings, clinical considerations and practice guideline recommendations are offered for rehabilitation professionals who work with AAPI populations.