Psychological distress in carers of head injured individuals: the provision of written information

Abstract

Since the early 1970s, researchers have expressed concern about the emotional well-being of family members after traumatic brain injury (TBI), and it is now widely acknowledged that TBI has longterm effects on the patient and relatives alike. Researchers have found a substantial number of relatives caring for head injured patients to show significant levels of anxiety and depression, and have emphasized the need for information for relatives on the prognosis of head injury. There are, however, very few studies that have investigated the usefulness of giving literature to relatives. Using a longitudinal, mixed variable, within- and between-subject design, the present study investigated the effect of an information booklet on levels of distress in a group of 34 carers of individuals with TBI. These results are discussed, and the proposal made that an information booklet such as the one used in the present study should become an integral part of the discharge procedure for relatives of individuals who have sustained a head injury.