THE EFFECT OF PARENTAL TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY ON PARENTING AND CHILD-BEHAVIOR

Objectives: To examine (1) the parenting skills of individuals with tr aumatic brain injury (TBI) and their spouses, (2) the effects of paren tal TBI on children, and (3) the effects of parental TBI on levels of depression for all family members. Design: Independent two-tailed t te sts and Pearson chi-square analyses were utilized to compare parents w ith TBI versus parents without TBI, spouses of parents with TBI versus spouses of parents without TBI, and children of parents with TBI vers us children of parents without TBI. Setting: Urban, suburban, and rura l New York State. Participants: 32 families participated in the study; in 16 families one parent had a TBI and in the remaining 16 families, no parent had a TBI. Eighteen children from families with parental TB I and 26 children from families without TBI were interviewed. On avera ge, parents with TBI were 9 years post-onset of injury at the time of interview. Main Outcome Measures: The parents' battery explored parent s' perspectives of their own parenting skills (Parent Behavior Form, P arent Practices Questionnaire, Parenting Dimensions Inventory), their mood (Beck Depression Inventory), and the behaviors of their children (Children's Problem Checklist, Behavior Rating Profile). The child's b attery tapped the children's perspective of their own behaviors (Behav ior Rating Profile), their mood (Children's Depression Inventory), and the parental abilities of both parents (Parent Behavior Form, Parent Practices Questionnaire). Results: Although parents with TBI and their spouses were similar to their comparison group in many parenting skil ls, parents with TBI reported less goal setting, less encouragement of skill development, less emphasis on obedience to rules and orderlines s, less promotion of work values, less nurturing, and lower levels of active involvement with their children. Spouses of individuals with TB I, compared to their counterparts, reported less feelings of warmth, l ove, and acceptance toward their children. Children from families in w hich a parent had a TBI perceived both parents as more lax in their di scipline, with the parent without TBI perceived as less actively invol ved in parenting roles. No differences in the frequency of behavioral problems were found between children of parents with TBI and children of parents without TBI. Parents with TBI and their children experience d more symptoms of depression relative to their respective comparison groups. Conclusion: Parental TBI has select consequences for all famil y members: individuals with TBI, their spouses, and their children. Pr ospective clinical evaluations of family members and proactive interve ntions to maximize family adjustment and minimize affective distress a re indicated.