Principal Investigator: Angelle Sander, Ph.D.

Co-Investigators: H. Julia Hannay, Ph.D., Walter M. High, Ph.D.

Specific Aims:

Sample:  280 family members of persons with severe, moderate, and complicated mild injuries who were admitted to a local county hospital serving primarily members of the indigent and underserved community; the population is approximately 1/3 Caucasian, 1/3 Hispanic, and 1/3 African-American.

Design:  In-home interviews will be conducted with family members at 6 months following injury.  Baseline measures of emotional distress, coping skills, family functioning, and satisfaction with social support will be obtained.  Following the baseline assessment, family members will receive two in-home therapy sessions. The first session will focus on general education about TBI and its common sequelae and training in managing cognitive and behavioral problems. The second session will focus on training in stress management techniques and coping skills, problem solving, and increasing positive thinking.   All family members will be provided with a written educational manual.   Post-test measures will be collected at 1 month following the second therapy session..

Predictor Variables:  Family members’ age, gender, ethnicity, and relationship to the person with injury.

Primary Outcome Measures:   Family Needs Questionnaire; Brief Symptom Inventory; Family Assessment Device; Ways of Coping Questionnaire; Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; Caregiver Appraisal Scale; Satisfaction Survey