Caregiver burden during the year following severe traumatic brain injury

Title
Caregiver burden during the year following severe traumatic brain injury
Publication Date
2002
Author(s)
Marsh, NV
Kersel, DA
Havill, JH
Sleigh, JW
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Psychology Press
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.1076/jcen.24.4.434.1030
UNE publication id
une:201
Abstract
Fifty-two primary caregivers of people with a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) were assessed at 6-months and 1-year postinjury. Caregiver appraisal of the person with TBI's physical, cognitive, emotional, behavioural, and social functioning was assessed. Caregiver psychosocial functioning and levels of subjective andobjective burden were also assessed. Some aspects of the difficulties reported for the people with TBI remained stable, while others increased in frequency, over time. At 6-months postinjury, approximately one third of caregivers reported clinically significant symptoms of anxiety and depression, and poor social adjustment. By 1-year postinjury, the prevalence of anxiety and depression remained the same, although only one-quarter continued to report poor social adjustment. There was some evidence of adaptation by caregivers,as the frequency with which various types of objective burden were reported remained stable, while the distress caused by these decreased in the first year postinjury. It appears that the impact on caregivers of physical impairment is comparatively short-lived and that caregivers learn some practical ways to manage the behavioural problems of the people with TBI. Despite this, over time the person with TBI's behavioural and cognitive problems begins to play a larger role in the level of distress experienced by the caregiver.However, it is the person with TBI's social isolation that has a stable and consistent role in the experience of subjective burden for primary caregivers in the first year postinjury.
Link
Citation
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 24(4), p. 434-447
ISSN
1744-411X
1380-3395
Start page
434
End page
447

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