Psychosocial outcome risk indicator: predicting psychosocial outcome following traumatic brain injury

This study examines the outcome of 29 individuals with traumatic brain inju ry (TBI) and 23 of their respective significant others, 12 months after dis charge from inpatient rehabilitation services, as a means of determining th e validity of a measure developed to predict psychosocial outcome. This mea sure consists of 18 questions that examine 12 factors and requires the rate r re make a judgement about the likely impact each factor would have on the individual with TBI and significant other. Results indicate that the seria l work raters accurately predicted outcome according to the factors contain ed in the measure. Scores on the measure at discharge were also found to be associated with general psychological distress, anxiety and insomnia, depr ession, family functioning, and the problems related to emotion and behavio ur. Although the sample size was small, there is an indication that the dev ised measure is useful in predicting outcome and so has clinical value in i dentifying adults at greatest risk of pool psychosocial outcome after a tra umatic brain injury.