NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTION IN THE ACUTE PHASE: A PILOT STUDY OF EMOTIONAL WELLBEING OF RELATIVES OF PATIENTS WITH SEVERE BRAIN INJURY

作者：Norup Anne^*; Siert Lars; Mortensen Erik Lykke

来源：Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 2013, 45(8): 827-834.

DOI：10.2340/16501977-1181

• acute neuropsychological intervention
• relatives
• severe brain injury
• anxiety
• depression
• quality of life

Objective: This pilot study investigated the effects of acute neuropsychological intervention for relatives of patients with severe brain injury.
Methods: Participants were enrolled in an intervention group comprising 39 relatives, and a control group comprising 47 relatives. The intervention consisted of supportive and psycho-educational sessions with a neuropsychologist in the acute care setting. The intervention group completed self-report scales in the acute setting and after the intervention at admission to sub-acute rehabilitation. The control group completed the self-report scales only at admission to subacute rehabilitation. Outcome measures included selected scales from the Symptom Checklist Revised 90 (SCL-90-R), the Short Form 36 (SF-36), and a visual analogue quality of life scale.
Results: The intervention group showed a significant decrease in anxiety scores from the acute to the sub-acute setting (t=2.70, p=0.010, d=0.30), but also significantly lower Role Emotional scores (t=2.12, p=0.043, d=0.40). In the subacute setting, an analysis of covariance model showed a borderline significant difference between the intervention and the control group on the anxiety scale (p=0.066, d=0.59).
Conclusion: Any effects of the acute neuropsychological intervention were limited. Further research is needed to explore the effects of different interventions in More homogenous and larger groups of relatives.

• 出版日期2013-9