Quality of relationship between veterans with traumatic brain injury and their family members

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The quality of the relationship between patients with many illnesses and their family members has been shown to affect the well-being of both. Yet, relationship quality has not been studied in traumatic brain injury (TBI), and giving and receiving aspects have not been distinguished. The present study of veterans with TBI examined associations between relationship quality and caregiver burden, satisfaction with caregiving, and veterans’ competence in interpersonal functioning, rated by veterans and family members.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, 83 veterans and their family members were interviewed at home. Measures of quality of relationship, veterans’ interpersonal competence and sociodemographics were collected for both, caregiver burden and satisfaction for family members only.

Results: As predicted, veteran-rated Q_rel/Giving was associated with family-rated Q_rel/Receiving, and veteran-rated Q_rel/Receiving with family-rated Q_rel/Giving. Lower caregiver burden and higher caregiving satisfaction were associated with higher Q_rel/Receiving scores but not with Q_rel/Giving scores. Veterans’ interpersonal competence was associated with total Q_rel as rated by either veterans or family members.

Conclusions: Relationship quality should be included in family research in TBI, and giving and receiving aspects should be differentiated. Findings suggest that lower caregiver burden and greater satisfaction should be more achievable by increasing caregivers’ sense of benefits received from the relationship.

KEYWORDS:

• Traumatic brain injury
• veterans
• family caregiving
• quality of relationship

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The project described was supported by Award Number R21 HD068857-01 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development.

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development or the National institutes of Health.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the US government.