Family interventions after traumatic brain injury: a service example

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often exerts a major impact upon the family with high levels of stress and distress, particularly amongst primary carers, disruption to family life style and functioning, changes in family roles, and marital and sexual difficulties. In response to the documented impact upon the family a range of family services have been advocated including family education, counselling and support. This paper outlines family services developed within a community head injury service in the UK. The family assessment programme comprises a relatives' screening questionnaire and structured interview schedules and ratings scales, some drawn from the family assessment literature, others developed within the service. Four components of family intervention are described: an annual series of educational workshops; follow-up workshops; individual family support; and specialist marital counselling. Our experience of providing these family services over the last 7 years is discussed along with the need for further evaluation of family assessment and interventions after TBI.