Perceived social support and locus of control after a traumatic brain injury (TBI)

The aim of the study was to investigate the social rehabilitation related to the perceived social support and the locus of control (LC) of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

A group of 46 patients 3-5 years after injury was evaluated. For the social rehabilitation, patients were categorized as 'high rehabilitation' or 'low rehabilitation' as regards vocational rehabilitation. Low rehabilitation patients should confirm the idea of an external locus of control more than high rehabilitation patients.

As far as perceived social support is concerned, both groups reported a poor level of social support, although the patients considered as high rehabilitation exhibited greater satisfaction in terms of social support. When one considers LC, patients with TBI were associated with a weaker internal LC than non-patients with TBI. In patients exhibiting a high level of rehabilitation, the LC was less frequently attributed to 'chance' or 'powerful others'. Patients with a low level of rehabilitation explained their difficulties in terms of external factors.

It is therefore necessary to take rehabilitation, perceived high-quality social support and low external LC into account if one is to improve the rehabilitation of TBI patients.