FAMILY FUNCTIONING, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND DEPRESSION AFTER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Citation
Lr. Leach et al., FAMILY FUNCTIONING, SOCIAL SUPPORT AND DEPRESSION AFTER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, Brain injury, 8(7), 1994, pp. 599-606
Citations number
25
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences
Journal title
ISSN journal
02699052
Volume
8
Issue
7
Year of publication
1994
Pages
599 - 606
Database
ISI
SICI code
0269-9052(1994)8:7<599:FFSSAD>2.0.ZU;2-V
Abstract
Functional outcome after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is thought to be dependent upon effective social support and avoidance of depressive e pisodes. Research indicates that post-injury changes often occur in th e family's functioning, hence impacting the family's ability to provid e the needed social support. Social support, in turn, has been hypothe sized to work as a buffer between significant life event and levels of depressive symptoms. Thus poor social support after a TBI, due to cha nges in family functioning, could result in depressive episodes for th e person with a TBI. This paper empirically examines this question by investigating whether social support is predictive of depression in pe rsons who have sustained a TBI. Thirty-nine persons who had sustained TBI were interviewed to assess their family functioning, perceived soc ial support, and current depressive symptomatology. The results showed that the effective use of problem-solving and behavioural coping stra tegies by the family in response to TBI was significantly related to l ower levels of depression in the person who sustained the TBI. However , perceived social support was not predictive of depression.