An Online Family Intervention to Reduce Parental Distress Following Pediatric Brain Injury

• Published in: Journal of consulting and clinical psychology Vol. 74; no. 3; pp. 445 - 454
• Main Authors: Wade, Shari L, Carey, Joanne, Wolfe, Christopher R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Psychological Association 01.06.2006
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders - psychology; Anxiety Disorders - therapy; Brain Injuries; Child; Children; Computer Mediated Communication; Depression (Psychology); Depression - therapy; Family (Sociological Unit); Family Therapy - methods; Female; Group Therapy; Head Injuries; Humans; Internet; Internet - instrumentation; Intervention; Male; Neurological Impairments; Outcomes of Treatment; Parents - psychology; Pediatrics; Problem Solving; Social Facilitation
• ISSN: 0022-006X
• DOI: 10.1037/0022-006X.74.3.445

This study examined whether an online problem-solving intervention could improve parental adjustment following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). Families of children with moderate-to-severe TBI were recruited from the trauma registry of a large children's hospital and randomly assigned to receive online family problem solving therapy (FPS; n = 20) or Internet resources (IRC; n = 20) in addition to usual care. The FPS group reported significantly less global distress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety at follow-up than did the IRC group after controlling for baseline symptoms. The FPS group also reported significant improvements in problem-solving skills, although the groups did not differ significantly at follow-up. Findings suggest that an online, skill-building approach can be effective in facilitating parental adaptation after TBI.