Problem solving training for care partners

Importance: Support for adults with TBI living in the community is limited. This puts undue burden on care partners, particularly during the transition from hospital to home. Care partners often feel distress and begin abusing alcohol. Problem Solving Training (PST) is an evidence-based, self-management approach for care partners of individuals with disabilities, including TBI, but it has never been delivered during inpatient rehabilitation. The proposed project will: Aim 1): Assess the feasibility of providing PST to care partners of adults with TBI during the inpatient rehabilitation stay; Aim 2) Assess the efficacy of PST + education vs education alone for improving caregiver burden, depressive symptoms, and coping skills. Method: We will conduct a randomized control trial of PST + Education vs Education alone for care partners during the inpatient rehabilitation stay of individuals with TBI. We will enroll 172 care partners and complete assessments at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months post-discharge of caregiver burden, depressive symptoms, and coping skills. We will examine differences in these outcomes between PST+Educaion and Education groups. This study will provide evidence for effective ways to support and improve outcomes for care partners during the transition from hospital to home.