Impact of religious attendance on psychosocial outcomes for individuals with traumatic brain injury: A NIDILRR funded TBI Model Systems study.
OBJECTIVE
To (1) identify demographic characteristics of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who attend religious services, (2) understand the relationship between attending religious services and psychosocial outcomes and (3) examine the independent contribution of religious service attendance to psychosocial outcomes while controlling for demographic characteristics, functional status and geographic location at 1, 5 and 10-years post injury.


METHODS
Retrospective, cross-sectional cohort study using secondary data analysis of the TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) National Database (NDB).


METHODS
TBIMS NDB participants who completed 1, 5 or 10-year follow-up interview with data on religious attendance. A total of 5573 interviews were analysed.


METHODS
Satisfaction with Life scale (SWLS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective Social sub-scale.


RESULTS
Approximately half of the sample was attending religious services at each time point. Attendance was a significant protective factor for each outcome across all three-time periods. After controlling for demographic characteristics, functional status and geographic makeup, religious attendance contributed a small but significant amount of unique variance in all models except for GAD-7 at years 1 and 10.


CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights the benefits of religious attendance on psychosocial outcomes post-TBI. Implications for rehabilitation are discussed.
a Craig Hospital, Englewood , CO , USA.
Angela
A
Philippus
a Craig Hospital, Englewood , CO , USA.
David
D
Mellick
b Spaulding-Harvard , Boston , MA , USA.
Therese
T
O'Neil-Pirozzi
c Mayo Clinic , Rochester , MN , USA.
Thomas
T
Bergquist
b Spaulding-Harvard , Boston , MA , USA.
Yelena
Y
Guller Bodien
d Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , TX , USA.|e TIRR Memorial Hermann , Houston , TX , USA.|f Harris Health System , Houston , TX , USA.
Angelle M
AM
Sander
g University of Alabama , Birmingham , AL , USA.
Laura E
LE
Dreer
b Spaulding-Harvard , Boston , MA , USA.
Joseph
J
Giacino
g University of Alabama , Birmingham , AL , USA.
Thomas
T
Novack
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012067:Religion; D012919:Social Behavior; D013997:Time Factors
Religion; adjustment; coping; satisfaction with life; spirituality