Caregiver functioning after traumatic injury

Objectives: Investigate pervasiveness of unhealthy family functioning and psychological distress among primary caregivers of 28 adult outpatients with traumatic injuries. Describe caregiver functioning and psychological distress in caregivers of persons with traumatic brain injury and caregivers of persons with a traumatic spinal cord injury. Determine similarities and differences between the two populations. Study Design: Caregivers completed self-report measures including the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and Family Assessment Device (FAD). Data were matched on respondent's gender, patient's age at injury, ethnicity, and marital status. Descriptive statistics were compiled for all variables. Independent samples t-tests and chi squares were computed to test for between group differences. Results: Similarities found between groups with regard to severity and mechanism of injury. Caregivers exhibited the highest levels of unhealthy functioning with regard to communication skills. Highest levels of healthy functioning were noted with regard to behavioral control. Almost 75% of caregivers reported elevated stress levels. Primary caregivers of persons with SCI report significantly (t(25) = 2.619, p = .015) more stress secondary to phobic anxiety than caregivers of persons with TBI. Conclusion: Previous research demonstrates that the BSI and FAD are valuable clinical tools. Current results suggest they are inappropriate for significantly distinguishing between SCI and TBI caregiver samples.