Authors: Muscara, Frank¹; Catroppa, Cathy²; Eren, Senem¹; Anderson, Vicki²

Source: Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, Volume 19, Number 4, August 2009 , pp. 541-561(21)

Publisher: Psychology Press, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Abstract:

Despite suggestions that paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupts social skill development, few studies have investigated long-term social outcome following the transition into adulthood. The current study aimed to investigate long-term social outcome, in a sample of 36 survivors who suffered a mild, moderate or severe TBI between 8 and 12 years of age. At 7-10 years post-injury, the age of participants ranged between 16 and 22 years. Social outcome was assessed using a number of self-rated and parent-rated questionnaires, in order to obtain self- and other-rated accounts of the groups' current social functioning. Predictors of long-term social outcome were also explored, with findings suggesting that young people who suffered mild TBI during childhood tended to be functioning at a higher level on some measures of social functioning, compared to those that suffered a moderate and severe injury. Further, results suggested that pre-injury adaptive functioning and socio-economic status predicted long-term functioning for some measures of social outcome. Finally, social problem-solving skills predicted the success of social reintegration post-TBI. These preliminary findings indicate that there is a risk of social difficulties following paediatric TBI continuing into adulthood, and that a number of demographic, social, and neuropsychological variables continue to predict social outcome even at this late stage post-injury.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09602010802365223

Affiliations: 1: Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychology Studies, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia,University of Melbourne, Australia 2: Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychology Studies, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia,Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia,University of Melbourne, Australia

Publication date: 2009-08-01

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