Individual neuropsychological support and group sessions for relatives to TBI patients

TITLE: Individual neuropsychological support and group sessions for relatives to TBI patients. OBJECTIVE: To describe how the neuropsychologist work with early and ongoing individual support and group sessions for relatives to adult TBI patients in the acute and sub acute phase and after discharge from hospital. METHODS: All relatives will in a randomized clinical research trial have the possibility of receiving 1) individual psychological intervention in the acute phase (Neurosurgery unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen), individual intervention and group sessions in the sub acute phase (Unit for Traumatic Brain Injury, Hvidovre University Hospital, Copenhagen) and support in a three month follow up after discharge from hospital (Hvidovre University Hospital), or 2) receive individual psychological intervention and group sessions only in the sub acute phase (Unit for Traumatic Brain Injury, Hvidovre University Hospital, Copenhagen). RESULTS: Intervention and information, individual and in group sessions, have demonstrated the importance of ongoing support to the relatives. The relatives have an opportunity to share experiences, grief and loss, in a constructive way, and receive information about brain injury, which will help them to understand the deficits after brain injury and to cope with their new role and the dynamics in the family. Secondly, the relatives have got a more informal network with one another in the unit. (data will be presented at the conference). CONCLUSIONS: All relatives are offered individual support and group sessions by the neuropsychologist. The relatives express great need for sharing experiences while the patients are admitted to hospital but also need for psychological support after discharge from hospital. Therapeutic intervention, and information about the brain injury, cognitive deficits and change of personality in the early phases, as well as support to cope with the new situation and role in the family, help the relatives in making a more realistic frame during hospitalization but also after discharge from hospital.