PSYCHOSOCIAL REHABILITATION OF CRANIAL TRAUMA AND STROKE PATIENTS

Citation
Tw. Teasdale et al., PSYCHOSOCIAL REHABILITATION OF CRANIAL TRAUMA AND STROKE PATIENTS, Brain injury, 7(6), 1993, pp. 535-542
Citations number
11
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences
Journal title
ISSN journal
02699052
Volume
7
Issue
6
Year of publication
1993
Pages
535 - 542
Database
ISI
SICI code
0269-9052(1993)7:6<535:PROCTA>2.0.ZU;2-F
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a longitudinal psychosocial study o f 22 cranial trauma patients and 14 stroke patients from the time prec eding injury (using retrospective data), through a 4-5 month intensive rehabilitation programme, to a follow-up 1 year after completion of t he programme. Although the two groups of patients differed on several demographic and medical characteristics, essentially similar patterns for psychosocial decline following injury and improvement following re habilitation could be observed. For both groups, the proportion in mar ital or cohabitational relationships returned to pre-injury levels, an d for both groups the proportion requiring assistance in their living situation declined following rehabilitation, as did use of the health services. Virtually all patients in both groups had been in employment or undergoing education at the time of the injury, and although this percentage declined in practice to a small minority of both groups pos t-injury, there was a significant increase in the proportions working or in education following the rehabilitation programme. Similarly, the pattern of leisure-time activities in both groups declined post-injur y and was restored following rehabilitation. Since both groups entered the programme at over 2.5 years post-injury, these generally encourag ing results seem less likely to reflect spontaneous recovery than a be neficial effect of the programme itself.