Trajectories of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Significant Others of Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Pielmaier, L., Milek, A., Nussbeck, F.W., Walder, B. & Maercker, A. (2013). Trajectories of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Significant Others of Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 18, 521-538
Long-term psychological distress has been reported among significant others of patients who sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study examined the course and potential predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms in a relative sample (N = 135) drawn from a national cohort study on severe TBI in Switzerland. Latent growth mixture model analyses revealed two main groups: Across 3, 6, and 12 months after the accident, 63% of the sample indicated fairly low symptom severity (“resilient” course), whereas 37% showed persistence of “higher distress” as indicated by elevated scores on the Impact of Event Scale–Revised. Group membership was significantly associated with self-reported dysfunctional disclosure style. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
KEYWORDS: PTSD, significant others, symptom trajectories, traumatic brain injury
RESOURCE: DOI