Twelve-month prospective cohort study of patients with severe traumatic brain injury and their relatives: Coping, satisfaction with life and neurological functioning

ABSTRACT

Background: To examine the associations between the functioning of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), and their relatives’ coping style and quality of life across 12 months post-injury.

Methods: Prospective, population-based cohort study assessing 188 patients with severe TBI (Abbreviated Injury Scale of the head region [HAIS] score >3), and their relatives, 3, 6 and 12 months post-injury. Data were drawn from a larger national study run in Switzerland (2007–2011). Patient assessment: Glasgow Coma Outcome Scale Extended (GOSE), Patient Competency Rating Scale for Neurorehabilitation (PCRS-NR). Relative assessment: Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL; 12-item short form health survey [SF-12]), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Mixed linear models were run separately for ages >50 and ≤50 (i.e. bimodal distribution).

Results: Patients’ GOSE score was associated with relatives’ reported mental SF-12 scores across age (ps < 0.01). Relatives’ CISS was associated with patients’ PCRS score (age > 50 years): Total and cognitive functioning decreased as emotion-oriented coping increased (ps = 0.01), while interpersonal functioning increased as task-oriented coping increased (p = 0.01) and decreased as avoidance-oriented coping increased (p = 0.02).

Conclusion: Patients’ functioning and relatives’ mental HRQoL and coping strategies are associated with each other.

KEYWORDS:

• Severe traumatic brain injury
• coping
• quality of life
• recovery trajectory
• relatives

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to the PEBITA team for their passion and support (www.pebita.ch). Great thanks to all the participants, and profound thanks to Arthur Cropley for his continuous advice and mentoring.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.