A prospective study of long-term caregiver and family adaptation following brain injury in children

Objective: We examined tong-term differences in family, adaptation following traumatic brain Injuries (TBI) and orthopedic injuries. Design: Families of children with severe TBI (n = 53), moderate TBI (n = 56), and orthopedic injuries (n = 80) were assessed at baseline, 6 months,and 12 months post injury and at an extended follow-up an average of 4.1 years post injury. Caregiver and family outcomes were examined using mixed model analysis. Results: Patterns of adaptation over time varied across groups but indicated long-standing injury-related stress and burden in the severe TBI group. Conclusions: Severe TBI results in persistent caregiver stress for a substantial proportion of families.