ABSTRACT
The dramatic impact of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been well-documented. The head injury rehabilitation literature is replete with theories about why families experience difficulties in coping, with many focusing upon psychodynamic explanations. The lack of attention to designing family interventions to meet the specific expressed needs of family members is further evidenced by a failure to adapt interventions to the changing needs of family members over time. A notable finding at five years was that the frequency of aggressive behavior had increased markedly. While the available information on the critical factors influencing the shift in needs is limited, it seems reasonable to assume that one of these critical factors might be changes in the level of care. The majority of families said they would have attended a family support group, but only because they were desperate to get their questions answered.
