Family satisfaction predicts life satisfaction trajectories over the first 5 years after traumatic brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
Examined the influence of functional impairment, stable marital status, and family satisfaction on life satisfaction trajectories for 609 individuals (435 men, 174 women) over the first 5 years after traumatic brain injury (TBI).


METHODS
Participants completed the Family Satisfaction Scale (FSS), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and the Life Satisfaction Index (LSI) at years 1, 2, 4, and 5 after sustaining a TBI.


RESULTS
Trajectory modeling revealed that higher family satisfaction was associated with increases in life satisfaction for individuals with less functional impairment. Stable marital status was not significantly associated with life satisfaction trajectories.


CONCLUSIONS
Family satisfaction appears to have pronounced beneficial effects on life satisfaction for persons with less functional impairment after TBI regardless of marital status. In contrast, a stable marriage appears to have no apparent benefits to self-reported life satisfaction over the first 5 years post-TBI. Theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.
Johnson
Caitlin L
CL
Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USA.
Resch
J Aaron
JA
Elliott
Timothy R
TR
Villarreal
Victor
V
Kwok
Oi-Man
OM
Berry
Jack W
JW
Underhill
Andrea T
AT
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors