Significant other burden and factors related to it in traumatic brain injury.

Feelings of burden and factors related to it were examined in a sample of 180 relatives of moderately to severely traumatically brain injured (TBI) subjects 6 months postinjury. Relatives were enrolled onto the study based on their family member's head injury and not on outcome. The results indicate that although both positive and negative experiences were common, the majority of the relatives reported an overall positive experience. The significant other's (SO's) experience was significantly and systematically related to many factors with overall negative experience associated with increased brain injury severity, worse neuropsychological functioning, increased dependency on others, SO's report of changes in the TBI subject, changes in the SO's life as a result of caregiving and SO depression.