title: Racial differences in caregiving patterns, caregiver emotional function, and sources of emotional support following traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Compare white and African American caregivers of people with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) regarding caregiving patterns, emotional function and life satisfaction, and preferred supports.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, observational study; 1, 2, or 5 years post-TBI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six TBI model systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred fifty-six caregivers (195 white and 61 African American).
  
  
  METHODS
  Brief Symptom Inventory-18, Satisfaction With Life Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Races differed as to kinship patterns, with more white caregivers including spouses and more African Americans including "other relatives." African Americans spent significantly more time in direct caregiving, and reported more depression. African American TBI survivors were significantly more disabled than whites, which appeared to account for emotional function differences. Whites were more likely to use professional services for emotional support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Across races, TBI caregiver emotional health is affected by the functional level of the survivor. African American caregivers may be at risk for worse emotional consequences due to worse survivor outcomes, yet may underutilize professional services.
authors.affiliation: Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA 19141, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. thart@einstein.edu
authors.forename: Tessa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Therese M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: O'Neil-Pirozzi
authors.forename: Kelli D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Rapport
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kreutzer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012944:Social Support; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*