Brain Injury Coping Skills Group For Improving Self-Efficacy And Adjustment In Individuals With Brain Injury And Their Caregivers

Samantha Backhaus, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator)

 

Rehabilitation and recovery after brain injury can be delayed by distress and impaired coping among these patients and their caregivers. A pilot study conducted by Dr. Samantha Backhaus indicated that group treatment (including education about brain injury and its effects, teaching of stress management skills, and supportive psychotherapy) to improve coping skills after brain injury dramatically increased perceived self-efficacy for treatment participants. Perceived self-efficacy is a person’s beliefs about their ability to have influence over events that affect their lives. Preliminary results show that the most immediate effect of the group intervention is on perceived self-efficacy which will allow survivors and caregivers to cope more effectively with emotional distress and caregiver burden.  Improved coping also has a positive effect on community participation. In addition, many other studies have shown that if left alone without any treatment, individuals with brain injury tend to feel worse over time. This study showed that individuals who did not get formal coping skills training actually got worse over the long run, but those that got to participate in this treatment actually maintained the improvements they made in their emotional well-being and perceived self-efficacy. This suggests that this group treatment actually prevented emotional problems for survivors of brain injury and their caregivers. The significance of this study is not only in identifying effective methods to assist survivors of brain injury and their caregivers but also in identifying the reasons why this type of treatment is effective.