Article

The degree to which individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and
their close others share a common understanding and experience of post-injury
neuropsychological changes is currently unclear.
The aim of this preliminary
study was to longitudinally examine levels of agreement between self and close
other reports of neuropsychological dysfunction following TBI and explore factors
associated with these agreement levels. METHOD: Sixty-three people with TBI and
their nominated close others independently completed the Structured Outcome
Questionnaire at 1- and 5-years post-injury, reporting whether the person with
TBI was experiencing any negative cognitive, behavioural or emotional changes
compared to pre-injury. RESULTS: Agreement levels between pair members ranged
from chance to approximately 75% across neuropsychological domains and did not
significantly change over 1- and 5-year time points. In the case of pair
disagreement, close others were generally more likely to report difficulties.
Pair disagreement was significantly associated with close other anxiety.
CONCLUSIONS: Agreement between self and close others remains limited up to
5-years post-injury which questions the practice of using these reports
interchangeably in research and clinical practice. Preliminary findings suggest
some association between pair disagreement and close other psychological
function; however, further research is warranted. Implications for Rehabilitation
Reporting of neuropsychological dysfunction between individuals with TBI and
their close others is not sufficiently reliable to warrant interchangeable use
within research or clinical practice. Including both individuals with TBI and
their close others in clinical assessments will facilitate a more holistic
understanding of the client's difficulties and their relationships with those close to them. Preliminary findings indicate that disagreement between
individuals with TBI and their close others may be associated with close other anxiety. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for disagreement to impact on the psychological health of close others.

Langue : ANGLAIS