Prospective study of a community reintegration programme for patients with acquired chronic brain injury: effects on caregivers' emotional burden and family functioning

To examine the effects of a residential community reintegration programme for patients with psychosocial problems due to acquired chronic brain injury on caregivers' emotional burden and family functioning.

A prospective cohort study with waiting list control and 1-year follow-up.

Forty-one caregivers of which 28 female. Mean age was 48 ± 8.3 years and 33 caregivers were parents.

A structured residential treatment programme was offered to the patients directed at domestic life, work, leisure time and social interactions.

The Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire for Brain Injury (IEQ-BI) for emotional burden, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) for psychological health and the Family Assessment Device (FAD) for family functioning were used.

There was an overall significant effect of Time for all outcome measures (MANOVA T(2 )= 9.1, F(15,317) = 64.1, p = 0.000). The effect sizes were moderate for three IEQ-BI sub-scales (partial η(2 )= 0.12-0.17) and small for two sub-scales (partial η(2 )= 0.05-0.09). The effect size for GHQ was moderate (partial η(2 )= 0.11). As for FAD no significant time effects were present (partial η(2 )= 0.00-0.04).

Emotional burden and psychological health of the caregivers improved significantly when patients with acquired brain injury and psychosocial problems followed a residential community reintegration programme. Family dynamics remained stable.