Predicting caregiver burden over the first 4 months after acute traumatic brain injury in Latin America: a multi-country study

ABSTRACT

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) rates and outcomes are worse in Latin American countries relative to high-income countries. This study examined whether cognitive dysfunction, depressive mood, and poor social and emotional self-regulation in individuals with an acute TBI in Latin America predict longitudinal trajectories of caregiver burden during the first 4 months post-discharge.

Method: A sample of 109 caregivers of individuals with a new TBI from Colombia and Mexico completed the observer European Brain Injury Questionnaire before hospital discharge and the Zarit Burden Inventory at the same time and again at 2 and 4 months after discharge. A hierarchical linear model (HLM) was used to assess whether cognitive dysfunction, depressive mood, and poor social and emotional self-regulation at hospital discharge predicted longitudinal trajectories of caregiver burden.

Results: Results suggested that burden trajectories decreased over time and men reported higher burden than women. Additionally, results showed that poor patient social and emotional self-regulation predicted higher burden trajectories.

Conclusions: Men and caregivers providing care for those experiencing poor social and emotional self-regulation may be at risk for burden. Culturally sensitive interventions focusing on social functioning of individuals with TBI and gender-informed caregiver interventions aimed at burden should be implemented in Latin America.

KEYWORDS:

• Traumatic brain injury
• caregiver
• burden
• latin america

Declaration of Interest Statement

The authors have no additional conflicts of interest to disclose.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by grant #R21TW009746 from Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health [R21TW009746];