Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinically significant change in the emotional
condition of relatives of patients with severe traumatic brain injury during
sub-acute rehabilitation. METHODS: Participants were 62 pairs of relatives and
patients. Relatives completed the anxiety and depression scales from the Symptom
Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) when the patients were admitted to sub-acute
rehabilitation and at discharge. Improvement in emotional condition was
investigated using the following criteria: (i) statistically reliable
improvement; and (ii) clinically significant change (CSC). RESULTS: At admission,
53.2% and 58.1% of relatives had scores above cut-off values on the anxiety and
depression scales, respectively. On the anxiety scale 69.7% of these experienced
a reliable improvement according to the Reliable Change Index (RCI) and 45.5%
also obtained CSC, as their end-point was below the cut-off value. On the
depression scale the corresponding figures were 44.4% and 41.7%, respectively.
When comparing relatives with and without CSC, we found that CSC in symptoms of
anxiety was associated with significantly better functional improvement during
rehabilitation and a shorter period of post-traumatic amnesia in the patients.
CONCLUSION: Of the relatives who reported scores above cut-off values on the
anxiety and depression scales at patient's admission, approximately 40%
experienced CSC in anxiety and depression during the patient's rehabilitation.
Relatives of patients experiencing improvement during inpatient rehabilitation
are more likely to experience CSC in anxiety.

Langue : ANGLAIS