TY - JOUR
T1 - The efficacy of a scheduled telephone intervention for ameliorating depressive symptoms during the first year after traumatic brain injury
AU - Bombardier, Charles H.
AU - Bell, Kathleen R.
AU - Temkin, Nancy R.
AU - Fann, Jesse R.
AU - Hoffman, Jeanne
AU - Dikmen, Sureyya
PY - 2009/7/1
Y1 - 2009/7/1
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an intervention designed to improve functioning after traumatic brain injury (TBI) also ameliorates depressive symptoms. DESIGN: Single-blinded, randomized controlled trial comparing a scheduled telephone intervention to usual care. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred seventy-one persons with TBI discharged from an inpatient rehabilitation unit. METHODS: The treatment group received up to 7 scheduled telephone sessions over 9 months designed to elicit current concerns, provide information, and facilitate problem solving in domains relevant to TBI recovery. OUTCOME MEASURES: Brief Symptom Inventory-Depression (BSI-D) subscale, Neurobehavioral Functioning Inventory-Depression subscale, and Mental Health Index-5 from the Short-Form-36 Health Survey. RESULTS: Baseline BSI-D subscale and outcome data were available on 126 (74%) participants. Randomization was effective except for greater severity of depressive symptoms in the usual care (control) group at baseline. Outcome analyses were adjusted for these differences. Overall, control participants developed greater depressive symptom severity from baseline to 1 year than did the treatment group. The treated group reported significantly lower depression symptom severity on all outcome measures. For those more depressed at baseline, the treated group demonstrated greater improvement in symptoms than did the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Telephone-based interventions using problem-solving and behavioral activation approaches may be effective in ameliorating depressive symptoms following TBI. Proactive telephone calls, motivational interviewing, and including significant others in the intervention may have contributed to its effectiveness.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an intervention designed to improve functioning after traumatic brain injury (TBI) also ameliorates depressive symptoms. DESIGN: Single-blinded, randomized controlled trial comparing a scheduled telephone intervention to usual care. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred seventy-one persons with TBI discharged from an inpatient rehabilitation unit. METHODS: The treatment group received up to 7 scheduled telephone sessions over 9 months designed to elicit current concerns, provide information, and facilitate problem solving in domains relevant to TBI recovery. OUTCOME MEASURES: Brief Symptom Inventory-Depression (BSI-D) subscale, Neurobehavioral Functioning Inventory-Depression subscale, and Mental Health Index-5 from the Short-Form-36 Health Survey. RESULTS: Baseline BSI-D subscale and outcome data were available on 126 (74%) participants. Randomization was effective except for greater severity of depressive symptoms in the usual care (control) group at baseline. Outcome analyses were adjusted for these differences. Overall, control participants developed greater depressive symptom severity from baseline to 1 year than did the treatment group. The treated group reported significantly lower depression symptom severity on all outcome measures. For those more depressed at baseline, the treated group demonstrated greater improvement in symptoms than did the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Telephone-based interventions using problem-solving and behavioral activation approaches may be effective in ameliorating depressive symptoms following TBI. Proactive telephone calls, motivational interviewing, and including significant others in the intervention may have contributed to its effectiveness.
KW - Depression
KW - Motivational interviewing
KW - Problem solving
KW - Telephone intervention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=68949086406&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=68949086406&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/HTR.0b013e3181ad65f0
DO - 10.1097/HTR.0b013e3181ad65f0
M3 - Article
C2 - 19625862
AN - SCOPUS:68949086406
SN - 0885-9701
VL - 24
SP - 230
EP - 238
JO - Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation
JF - Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation
IS - 4
ER -