Our experience with survivors of TBI certainly accords with proposition that both survivors and their families need support to enhance the survivor’s functional capabilities and everyone’s well-being. Recent research agrees with us.  A six-week group intervention study looked at patients with acquired brain injury and their significant others and found that support enhanced both client well-being and psychosocial outcomes. Both higher levels of community integration and improvements in depression scores were noted where support had been provided.

We work hard to ensure that survivors and their families are connected with support through brain injury programs or even with therapists that we know have experience in brain injury. It’s not just the ‘touchy feely stuff’ either.  Many family members struggle with questions like “How do I encourage my loved one to improve his memory without doing it for them” or “How do I respond to anger or frustration that I think comes from the brain injury”. It’s essential that this support is provided, either through community groups or by allowing your brain injury lawyer to organize that high level of therapy and training.

To review this study see: “Evaluation of an outpatient, peer group intervention for people with acquired brain injury based on the ICF ‘Environment’ dimension” in Disability & Rehabilitation (2009, Vol. 31, No. 20 : Pages 1666-1675). This research was produced by Jennifer Fleming, Pim Kuipers, Michele Foster, Sharon Smith and Emmah Doig.