Interpersonal Relatedness and Psychological Functioning following Traumatic Brain Injury: Implications for Marital and Family Therapists

Abstract

Recovery from a mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a challenging process for injured persons and their families. Guided by attachment theory, we investigated whether relationship conflict, social support, or sense of belonging were associated with psychological functioning. Community-dwelling persons with TBI (N=75) and their relatives/significant others (N=74) were surveyed on relationship variables, functional status, and TBI symptom severity. Results from this cross-sectional study revealed that only sense of belonging was a significant predictor of post-injury psychological functioning, although interpersonal conflict approached significance. No relevant pre-injury or injury-related variables impacted these relationships, except marital status. Our findings suggest that interventions targeting strengthening the injured persons' sense of belonging and lowering interpersonal conflict may benefit those living with TBI.

Building Wellbeing in People With Chronic Conditions: A Qualitative Evaluation of an 8-Week Positive Psychotherapy Intervention for People Living With an Acquired Brain Injury

“…Sharing of information related to symptoms, recovery and support, facilitated group bonding and strengthened relationships between participants. These findings are in line with other research on relatedness and ABI which suggests that a sense of belongingness is associated with psychosocial wellbeing (Bay et al, 2002(Bay et al, , 2012. Individuals noted that the sense of relatedness was a core feature of the intervention as they described a sense of misunderstanding and stigmatization from individuals living without brain injury.…”

Cognitive rehabilitation groups: A thematic analysis of feasibility and perceived benefits for clients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury living in the Western Cape

“…Better than before …’, and participants seemed to flourish at the opportunity to have goals, an identity, and a sense of responsibility. Similar findings were noted in the research by Bay, Blow and Xie ( 2012 ), showing that increased involvement with others and a sense of being valued within a group had a positive impact on emotion regulation, confidence, and social skills.…”

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Veterans' In‐home Program for Military Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury and Their Families: Report on Impact for Family Members

“…Caregiver depression and burden are the most common psychosocial problems reported by family caregivers [28]. Previous research has also described the impact of TBI on the family system: increased family dysfunction [17,29,30], family conflict [31], communication problems [32], and marital problems [33]. Behavioral and emotional changes are the most distressing TBI‐related symptoms for family members [29].…”