Parental perspectives on recovery and social reintegration after pediatric traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the validity of parental ratings of their child's overall recovery and social reintegration after pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI).


METHODS
Primary care hospital/medical center.


METHODS
Ninety-nine children aged 6 to 16 years (80 with TBI and 19 orthopedic trauma controls) evaluated as outpatients.


METHODS
Parental ratings of overall recovery and social reintegration; neuropsychological test performance.


RESULTS
Severity of injury correlated with postacute parental ratings of the child's overall recovery (r = -0.498, N = 84, P = .001) and social reintegration (r = -0.507, N = 84, P = .001). A similar correlation was observed between TBI severity and a known "objective" marker of recovery (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III Coding subtest; r = -0.503, N = 84, P = .001).


CONCLUSIONS
The present findings support the concurrent validity of parental perspectives of a child's overall recovery and social reintegration after pediatric TBI. Incorporating these views may assist in the rehabilitation of children following brain injury. Parental reasons for judging a child's recovery as "incomplete" may differ as a function of severity of injury.
Prigatano
George P
GP
Division of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona 85013, USA. george.prigatano@chw.edu
Gray
Jennifer
J
D000293:Adolescent; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012917:Social Adjustment