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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: Investigate effectiveness of a 5-session manualized intervention for addressing needs of caregivers of persons in acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation.
DESIGN: Prospective, pilot randomized controlled trial SETTING: Inpatient brain injury rehabilitation unit, level 1 trauma center PARTICIPANTS: N = 93 patients with moderate to severe TBI and their family members were enrolled in the study with 42 randomized to the treatment group, 51 to the control group. INTERVENTION: Five-session, manualized caregiver intervention with educational, stress and anxiety self-management, coping, and emotional support components. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Family Needs Questionnaire-R (FNQ-R), Knowledge Assessment, Zarit Family Burden Scale, and Brief Symptom Inventory-18 were collected at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up.
RESULTS: Treatment group caregivers showed an increase in met needs for Emotional, Instrumental and Professional Support, and brain injury knowledge from baseline to post-treatment whereas controls did not. Between group differences were significant for only Emotional Support needs. Treatment effects were not sustained at 3-month follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers of persons undergoing acute TBI rehabilitation may benefit from interventions that target their unique needs. Caregivers may require additional and longer-term supports to sustain treatment benefits.
Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Language: en |