Development and application of the Family Empowerment Questionnaire in brain injury.
BACKGROUND
The present study was an ongoing development of a previous study of the Family Empowerment Questionnaire, which had already indicated a four-factor solution (Skill, Knowledge, Support and Aspiration) empowerment process among family caretakers for their family members with traumatic brain injury (TBI).


OBJECTIVE
The Family Empowerment Questionnaire was used to further explore its applicability to rehabilitation professionals through investigating differences between rehabilitation professionals' and family members' perceptions of empowerment in the rehabilitation process of persons with TBI.


METHODS
The present study compared the 52-item Family Empowerment Questionnaire scores between 65 rehabilitation professionals with the results obtained from 211 family caretakers.


RESULTS
Statistical analyses using the factor-based scores of the four sub-scales revealed that professionals and family members differ significantly in their perceptions regarding family empowerment in TBI rehabilitation in any of the four empowerment factors and within individual items of each factor.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific activities in which families and professionals' perceptions differed significantly should be explored further and clinical implications of the study are discussed.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, PR China. rsdavid@polyu.edu.hk
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Man
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Lam
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Bard
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires