Coping strategies, social support, life orientation and health-related quality of life following traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To study coping strategies, social support and life orientation in patients following moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in relation to health-related quality of life.


METHODS
Eighty-five patients with moderate or severe TBI and 68 control persons.


METHODS
Estonian versions of the COPE-D test, the Brief Social Support Questionnaire, the Life Orientation Test and the RAND-36 questionnaire.


RESULTS
Persons with TBI reported using task-oriented and social/emotional support strategies less often and avoidance-oriented strategies more often than control persons (p < 0.05). The social support network, satisfaction with it and optimism as life orientation were lower in the patient group (p < 0.05). Task-oriented coping styles, satisfaction with social support and optimistic life orientation were associated with the majority of the domains of health-related quality of life and resuming work after TBI.


CONCLUSIONS
To achieve effective rehabilitation and to enhance patients' well-being, it is important to improve the quality and amount of social support network, as well as to support patients' adequate coping efforts for promoting an active lifestyle.
Tomberg
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T
Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Tartu, Estonia. tiiu.tomberg@klinikum.ee
Toomela
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Pulver
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Tikk
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D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004957:Estonia; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires