Feasibility of a skills-based substance abuse prevention program following traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate the feasibility of a skills-based substance abuse prevention counseling program in a community setting for adults who sustained traumatic brain injury.


METHODS
Convenience sample of 117 participants (mean age=35 years) with preinjury history of alcohol or other drug use. Intervention group participants (n=36) from 3 vocational rehabilitation programs; a no-intervention comparison group (n=81) from an outpatient rehabilitation service.


METHODS
12 individual counseling sessions featuring skills-based intervention.


METHODS
Changes in self-reported alcohol and other drug use, coping skillfulness, affect, and employment status from baseline to 9 months postintervention.


RESULTS
Significant differences were noted at baseline for the intervention and comparison groups on ethnicity, time postinjury, marital status, and employment (P<.05). At the 9-month follow-up, the intervention group participants achieved a statistically significant decrease in alcohol and drug use (P<.05), increase in coping skillfulness (P<.01), and increased likelihood of maintaining employment (P<.01) relative to the comparison group. Controlling for baseline-adjusted means for the intervention and comparison groups, a statistically significant group difference in adjusted change was noted; the intervention group participants reported lower negative affect at the 9-month follow-up assessment (P<.05).


CONCLUSIONS
A skills-based intervention provides a promising approach to promoting abstinence from all substances and increasing readiness for employment for adults with traumatic brain injuries in outpatient settings.
Vungkhanching
Martha
M
Graduate School of Social Work, Dominican University, River Forest, IL, USA.
Heinemann
Allen W
AW
Langley
Mervin J
MJ
Ridgely
Mary
M
Kramer
Karen M
KM
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000517:prevention & control; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003376:Counseling; D004651:Employment; D005006:Ethnicity; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013695:Temperance; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome