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.