Multifamily Therapy Appears Helpful for Traumatic Brain Injury

Multifamily group treatment for veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) appears to be useful and effective, according to a small study appearing online in Psychiatric Services. Veterans at two Veterans Affairs medical centers were prescreened by their providers for participation in an open trial of multifamily group treatment for TBI. Enrollment was limited to consenting veterans with a clinical diagnosis of TBI sustained during the Operation Enduring Freedom–Operation Iraqi Freedom era, a family member or partner consenting to participate, and a score ≥20 on the Mini-Mental State Examination. The nine-month trial consisted of individual family sessions, an educational workshop, and bimonthly multifamily problem-solving sessions. Interpersonal functioning and symptomatic distress among veterans and family burden, empowerment, and symptomatic distress among families were assessed before and after treatment.

Eleven veterans participated. Treatment was associated with decreased anger expression by the vets and increased social support and occupational activity. Caregivers reported decreased burden and increased empowerment. “An open trial of an adaptation of multifamily group treatment for...veterans with TBI demonstrated significant improvement in anger management and use of social supports among veterans and in burden and empowerment among families, providing a rationale for mounting a randomized clinical trial,” the researchers stated.

"Implementation of Multifamily Group Treatment for Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury" is posted here. American Psychiatric Publishing recentlyt published “Management of Adults With Traumatic Brain injury.” For purchasing information click here. And for more about traumatic brain injury, see Psychiatric News here.

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