title: Effectiveness of Communication-specific Coping Intervention for adults with traumatic brain injury: preliminary results.
abstract: People with traumatic brain injury (TBI) describe everyday interactions as a long-term challenge frequently associated with ongoing stress. Communication-specific Coping Intervention (CommCope-I) is a new treatment developed to target coping in the context of communication breakdown. The intervention incorporates principles of cognitive behavioural therapy, self-coaching and context-sensitive social communication therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of CommCope-I in a group of adults with severe TBI and ongoing functional communication difficulties. Participants were 13 adults with severe TBI (GCS = 3-8; mean age = 35.2 years; mean time post-injury = 7.6 years). The project involved three phases: (1) Control/pre-intervention wait phase (multiple assessments), (2) Treatment (6 weeks), and (3) Follow-up (12 weeks). Repeated measures ANOVA with planned pairwise comparisons were used to test the significance of change. Intervention elicited statistically significant improvements in communication-specific coping, functional communication and stress that were maintained for three months. Improved use of communication-specific coping strategies was evident in clinician blind ratings. Clients reported significant reduction in stress at the end of treatment and one and three months later. This intervention provides a promising means of improving communication-specific coping and reducing communication dysfunction and its negative consequences for people with TBI.
authors.affiliation: a Living with Disability Research Centre, School of Allied Health , La Trobe University , Victoria , Australia.|b Summer Foundation , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Jacinta M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0940-6624
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.affiliation: a Living with Disability Research Centre, School of Allied Health , La Trobe University , Victoria , Australia.|b Summer Foundation , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8331-6032
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Knox
authors.affiliation: a Living with Disability Research Centre, School of Allied Health , La Trobe University , Victoria , Australia.|c Scope , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Carren
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Maio
authors.affiliation: a Living with Disability Research Centre, School of Allied Health , La Trobe University , Victoria , Australia.|d Beachside & South Eastern Suburbs Speech Pathology , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bridge
authors.affiliation: a Living with Disability Research Centre, School of Allied Health , La Trobe University , Victoria , Australia.|e Epworth Monash Rehabilitation Medicine Unit , Victoria , Australia.|f Speech Pathology Department , Epworth Rehabilitation, Epworth HealthCare , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drummond
authors.affiliation: a Living with Disability Research Centre, School of Allied Health , La Trobe University , Victoria , Australia.|f Speech Pathology Department , Epworth Rehabilitation, Epworth HealthCare , Victoria , Australia.|g Speech Pathology Department , Alfred Health/Caulfield Hospital , Caulfield , Australia.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whiteoak
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003142:Communication; D030141:Feedback, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Brain injury; communication; coping; intervention