title: Are metacognitive processes associated with posttraumatic stress symptom severity following acquired brain injury?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after acquired brain injury (ABI) is relatively common, its causal mechanisms remain speculative and little research has considered psychological perspectives. The current study aimed to examine whether metacognitive variables were associated with posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) severity in individuals with an ABI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants who had a traumatic brain injury (n = 47) or subarachnoid haemorrhage (n = 93) completed questionnaires related to demographic, clinical, social support and metacognitive variables. Correlation analyses and a hierarchical multiple regression analysis, with total PTSS severity used as the outcome variable, were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results demonstrated that metacognitive factors were correlated with PTSS severity and were able to explain an additional and significant amount of variance in PTSS severity within the regression analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results provide preliminary support that metacognitive variables are associated with PTSS after ABI. Clinical implications within rehabilitative settings are discussed, as well as theoretical and research implications in the context of the study's limitations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can impede quality of life after brain injury. Clinical, social and metacognitive processes all influence the development of PTSD after brain injury and should be considered within rehabilitative care plans. Rehabilitative care plans should incorporate interventions for PTSD when appropriate, and metacognitive interventions could prove beneficial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Lancaster University, Division of Health Research , Lancashire , UK and.
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mullin
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Metacognition; posttraumatic stress disorder; risk factors for PTSD; subarachnoid haemorrhage; traumatic brain injury