Social Competence at Two Years after Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury.
Children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are at risk for social impairment, but research has yet to document the trajectory of these skills post-injury and factors that may predict social problems. This study addressed these gaps in knowledge, reporting on findings from a prospective, longitudinal follow-up study that investigated social outcomes post-injury and explored factors contributing to these outcomes at two years post-injury. The sample included 113 children, 74 with TBI and 39 typically developing (TD) controls. TBI participants were recruited on presentation to the hospital. Parents rated pre-injury function at that time, and all children underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Participants were followed up at two years post-injury. Outcomes were social adjustment, social participation, social relationships, and social cognition. Predictors of social outcomes examined included brain lesion characteristics, child cognition (6 months post-TBI), and behavior and environmental factors (pre-injury and two years). Reduced social adjustment (p = 0.011) and social participation (p < 0.001) were evident in children with TBI compared with TD controls. Poor social adjustment was predicted by externalizing behavior problems and younger age at injury. Reduced social participation was linked to internalizing behavior problems. Greater lesion volume, lower socioeconomic status, and family burden contributed to poorer social relationships, whereas age at injury predicted social cognition. Within the TBI group, 23% of children exhibited social impairments. Younger age at injury, greater pre-injury, and current behavior problems and family dysfunction, and poorer intelligence quotient (IQ), processing speed, and empathy were linked to impairment. Further follow-up is required to track social recovery and the influences of cognition, brain, and environment over time.
1 Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute , Melbourne, Australia .|2 Psychology Service, Royal Children's Hospital , Melbourne, Australia .|3 University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Australia .
Vicki
V
Anderson
4 Department of Psychology, University of Montreal , Montreal, Quebec, Canada .|5 Research Center , Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada .
Miriam H
MH
Beauchamp
6 Department of Psychology, University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta, Canada .|7 Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary , Calgary, Alberta, Canada .
Keith Owen
KO
Yeates
1 Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute , Melbourne, Australia .
Louise
L
Crossley
1 Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute , Melbourne, Australia .|3 University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Australia .
Nicholas
N
Ryan
1 Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute , Melbourne, Australia .
Stephen J C
SJC
Hearps
1 Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute , Melbourne, Australia .|2 Psychology Service, Royal Children's Hospital , Melbourne, Australia .|3 University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Australia .
Cathy
C
Catroppa
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D000066553:Problem Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D058992:Social Participation; D012938:Social Perception; D066107:Social Skills
behavior; children; recovery; social skills; traumatic brain injury