A transdiagnostic investigation of emotional distress after traumatic brain injury.
Emotional distress after traumatic brain injury (TBI) often presents as a range of neurobehavioural and emotional reactions rather than distinct disorders. This study adopted a transdiagnostic approach with the aim of identifying psychological processes common to depression, anxiety and global distress after TBI. Fifty participants with TBI (aged 19-66 years, 12-65 months post-injury) completed measures of threat appraisals and avoidance behaviour (Appraisal of Threat and Avoidance Questionnaire), self-discrepancy (Head Injury Semantic Differential Scale III), emotion dysregulation (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale), worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire), negative self-focused attention (Self-Focus Sentence Completion) and emotional distress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales and Brief Symptom Inventory). Significant correlations were found among the proposed transdiagnostic variables (rs = .29-.82, p < .05). A principal components analysis revealed two underlying factors: (1) Threats to Self, and (2) Emotion Dysregulation. Only the Emotion Dysregulation factor accounted for significant unique variance in levels of depression, anxiety and global distress (sr(2) = .12-.17). Such findings indicate the need for interventions to target difficulties in identifying and regulating emotions after TBI to facilitate emotional adjustment.
a School of Applied Psychology and Griffith Health Institute , Griffith University , Mt Gravatt , Australia.
Cassandra
C
Shields
a School of Applied Psychology and Griffith Health Institute , Griffith University , Mt Gravatt , Australia.
Tamara
T
Ownsworth
a School of Applied Psychology and Griffith Health Institute , Griffith University , Mt Gravatt , Australia.
Analise
A
O'Donovan
b School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences , University of Queensland , Brisbane , Australia.|c Occupational Therapy Department , Princess Alexandra Hospital , Brisbane , Australia.
Jennifer
J
Fleming
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000150:complications*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
Emotional distress; Emotional dysregulation; Transdiagnostic perspective; Traumatic brain injury