Resilience in family caregivers of persons with acquired brain injury.

Objectives. Family members caring for a patient with acquired brain injury (ABI) are coping with inordinate levels of stress partially due to their lack of understanding of the neuropsychological effects of acquired brain injury in the patient. The objective of this research is to show that as the caregivers’ stress levels increase, there is an increase in suicidal ideation. This highlights the causal relationship between unhealthy stress and reduced psychological well-being in these caregivers. In addition, qualitative research evidence regarding the caregivers’ views of their main sources of stress are presented. Methods. The participants were a random sample of 80 family caregivers of patients with acquired brain injury, out of whom 72.5% (58) are primary caregivers and 27.5% (22) are secondary caregivers. A mixed methodology was utilized. It comprised cross-sectional descriptive and phenomenological approaches. Quantitative data were obtained from two standardized measures: The Stress Symptom Checklist (SSCL) and item 9 of the Beck Depression Inventory. The qualitative data were derived from self-report procedures that were part of a structured questionnaire administered individually during the interviews. Results. The Kruskal-Wallis test with a significance level of p = .05 was used to compare the stress and suicidal ideation scores, which revealed that increasing levels of stress led to increased suicidality. The analysis of the qualitative data revealed five themes which were identified as the triggers of the caregivers’ profound stress. Most caregivers felt that it was predominantly the patient’s neuropsychological deficits, such as emotions and/or moods, cognitive ability, behavior and personality, executive function, and social factors that caused them profound stress. Conclusions. Support and education are needed to help family caregivers understand the neuropsychological impact of acquired brain injury on the patient. Once caregivers have an improved understanding and receive better support from healthcare providers, they should experience less stress and be better prepared to provide the appropriate support to patients with acquired brain injury.

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Trait Mindfulness, Rumination, and Well-being in Family Caregivers of People with Acquired Brain Injury

Clínica y Salud ◽

10.5093/clysa2021a5 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000-000

Author(s):

Esther Calvete ◽

Mª Angustias Roldan Franco ◽

Lucia Oñate ◽

Macarena Sánchez-Izquierdo Alonso ◽

Laura Bermejo-Toro

Keyword(s):

Brain Injury ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Acquired Brain Injury ◽

Well Being ◽

Trait Mindfulness

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A qualitative study of the transition from hospital to home for individuals with acquired brain injury and their family caregivers

Brain Injury ◽

10.1080/02699050701651678 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. 1119-1130 ◽

Cited By ~ 72

Author(s):

Benjamin Turner ◽

Jennifer Fleming ◽

Petrea Cornwell ◽

Linda Worrall ◽

Tamara Ownsworth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brain Injury ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Acquired Brain Injury ◽

Hospital To Home

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Perceived Usability and Acceptability of Videoconferencing for Delivering Community-Based Rehabilitation to Individuals with Acquired Brain Injury: A Qualitative Investigation

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s135561771900078x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 47-57 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Tamara Ownsworth ◽

Deborah Theodoros ◽

Louise Cahill ◽

Atiyeh Vaezipour ◽

Ray Quinn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Brain Injury ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Technology Acceptance ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Acquired Brain Injury ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Community Based ◽

Community Based Rehabilitation ◽

Perceived Usability ◽

Case Basis

AbstractObjectives:There is limited research on the use of telerehabilitation platforms in service delivery for people with acquired brain injury (ABI), especially technologies that support delivery of services into the home. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perspectives of rehabilitation coordinators, individuals with ABI, and family caregivers on the usability and acceptability of videoconferencing (VC) in community-based rehabilitation. Participants’ experiences and perceptions of telerehabilitation and their impressions of a particular VC system were investigated.Methods:Guided by a theory on technology acceptance, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 participants from a community-based ABI service, including 13 multidisciplinary rehabilitation coordinators, 9 individuals with ABI, and 8 family caregivers. During the interview, they were shown a paper prototype of a telehealth portal for VC that was available for use. Interview transcripts were coded by two researchers and analysed thematically.Results:The VC was used on average for 2% of client consultations. Four major themes depicted factors influencing the uptake of VC platforms; namely, the context or impetus for use, perceived benefits, potential problems and parameters around use, and balancing the service and user needs. Participants identified beneficial uses of VC in service delivery and strategies for promoting a positive user experience.Conclusions:Perceptions of the usability of VC to provide services in the home were largely positive; however, consideration of use on a case-by-case basis and a trial implementation was recommended to enhance successful uptake into service delivery.

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Development of the life change adaptation scale for family caregivers of individuals with acquired brain injury

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0241386 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (10) ◽

pp. e0241386

Author(s):

Yuka Shindo ◽

Etsuko Tadaka

Keyword(s):

Brain Injury ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Acquired Brain Injury ◽

Life Change

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Training-the-Trainer on Assistive Technology for Cognition (ATC): Current Practices

Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders ◽

10.1044/nnsld23.2.90 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 90-94 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Laurie Ehlhardt Powell ◽

Tracey Wallace ◽

Michelle ranae Wild

Keyword(s):

Brain Injury ◽

Assistive Technology ◽

Acquired Brain Injury ◽

Online Training ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Train The Trainer ◽

Rehabilitation Professionals ◽

Remote Locations ◽

Training Package ◽

And Training

Research shows that if clinicians are to deliver effective, evidence-based assistive technology for cognition (ATC) services to clients with acquired brain injury (ABI), they first need opportunities to gain knowledge and experience with ATC assessment and training practices (O'Neil-Pirozzi, Kendrick, Goldstein, & Glenn, 2004). This article describes three examples of train the trainer materials and programs to address this need: (a) a toolkit for trainers to learn more about assessing and training ATC; (b) a comprehensive, trans-disciplinary program for training staff to provide ATC services in a metropolitan area; and (c) an overview of an on-site/online training package for rehabilitation professionals working with individuals with ABI in remote locations.

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