‘Family first’ – feasibility and pilot outcomes of a community intervention for families of children in recovery following brain injury

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Feasibility and pilot outcomes of a new community-based program for families of children with acquired brain injury (ABI) are presented. Interventions, delivered by home-visiting and teletherapy, were underpinned by problem-solving therapy, narrative meaning making, goal-directed interventions and community system psychoeducation.

Methods

Eighty-three families of children, who had sustained an ABI before 12 years of age, had an average of 13 sessions of the ‘Family First’ (FF) intervention. A mixed-methods prospective design was employed. Feasibility was evaluated through measures of accessibility and acceptability. Goal attainment scaling and pre-post changes on standardized questionnaires assessed changes in psychosocial adjustment and quality of life.

Results

Feasibility analyses suggested engagement and retention of often hard to reach families and children with high psychosocial needs. Qualitative analyses suggested themes related to the accessibility of a unique service (‘Nothing else like this out there’ and ‘Accessible and flexible’) which facilitated ‘Empowerment’ within a family context (‘A family affair’). Promising changes on standardized scales of behavior problems, competencies and child and family quality of life were discerned. Increased goal attainment scores were observed.

Conclusion

The FF program showed feasibility and promise. It impacted positively on the lives of children and families and improved capacity in supporting systems.

KEYWORDS:

• Childhood brain injury
• family-focused intervention
• community
• feasibility
• outcomes

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the National Lottery Community Fund.