Neuropsychological intervention in the acute phase: a pilot study of emotional wellbeing of relatives of patients with severe brain

Objective: This pilot study investigated the effects of acute neuropsychological
intervention for relatives of patients with
severe brain injury.
Methods: Participants were enrolled in an intervention group
comprising 39 relatives, and a control group comprising
47 relatives. The intervention consisted of supportive and
psycho-educational sessions with a neuropsychologist in the
acute care setting. The intervention group completed selfreport
scales in the acute setting and after the intervention
at admission to sub-acute rehabilitation. The control group
completed the self-report scales only at admission to subacute
rehabilitation. Outcome measures included selected
scales from the Symptom Checklist Revised 90 (SCL-90-R),
the Short Form 36 (SF-36), and a visual analogue quality of
life scale.
Results: The intervention group showed a significant decrease
in anxiety scores from the acute to the sub-acute setting
(t = 2.70, p = 0.010, d = 0.30), but also significantly lower Role
Emotional scores (t = 2.12, p = 0.043, d = 0.40). In the subacute
setting, an analysis of covariance model showed a borderline
significant difference between the intervention and
the control group on the anxiety scale (p = 0.066, d = 0.59).
Conclusion: Any effects of the acute neuropsychological
intervention were limited. Further research is needed to
explore the effects of different interventions in more homogenous
and larger groups of relatives.