Behavioural rehabilitation of head injured patients

Behavioural changes constitute the most common disturbances following head injury. They are closely related to neurological damage, neuropsychological deficits and psychosocial maladjustments In an explorative study of behavioural rehabilitation inthe native setting, 101 patients with behavioural problems were included. For each individual a treatment programme including pharmacological, behavioural and psychotherapeutic intervention was planned and executed by a team of neurosurgeon, psychiatrist psychologist and social workers. The problem of non-compliance also was studied in the same group. Improvement was good in atypical psychoses, affective psychosis, alcohol dependency, phobias, sexual dysfunctions and undue somatic concern. Irritability, amotivation and disinhibited behaviour did not register adequate improvement. The study revealed the usefulness of multi-disciplinary model, deficiencies in the present approach, the need for adapting the techniques in conformity with native needs and the reason for non-compliance.