oscar - an internet-based supportive coaching for informal caregivers of adult individuals with an acquired brain injury

Conditions: Caregivers; Brain Injury

Summary: this is an intervention study for informal caregivers of adult patients with an acquired brain injury (stroke, traumatic brain injury or cerebral haemorrhage). it will determine whether an internet-based supportive coaching offers benefits to the caregivers in their own process of coping in the aftermath of a brain injury of a close relative. we expect the internet-based supportive coaching to be more effective in the treatment of emotional distress reactions and caregiver burden than the treatment as usual.

background a brain injury (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury) occurs all of a sudden and is often followed by complex neurological and psychological consequences. these consequences do not only affect the patients with the brain injury as muriel lezak already stated in 1988: "brain damage is a family affair". symptoms of depression and anxiety as well as an increased caregiver burden are common, but there is still a lack in randomized controlled trials that investigate the efficacy of multicomponent interventions for informal caregivers. the main aim of the current study is to close this scientific gap with an innovative method for this special population. oscar (the internet-based supportive coaching) uses the internet as a communication- and information brokering medium and is designed as a "guided-self-help tool" where a qualified therapist individually supports every participant. the key objective is to investigate the feasibility, acceptance and efficacy of an internet-based supportive coaching (oscar) for informal caregivers of adult individuals with an acquired brain injury. it is expected that the internet-based supportive coaching (oscar) leads to a better coping of emotional distress reactions and caregiver burden. objective a key objective is to investigate the feasibility, acceptance and efficacy of an internet-based supportive coaching (oscar) for informal caregivers of adult individuals with an acquired brain injury. methods to one part, oscar is part of a randomized controlled intervention study where a standard neuropsychological therapy is compared with an integrative neuro-psychotherapy. the internet-based supportive coaching (oscar) for the caregivers is part of the integrative neuro-psychotherapy arm. additionally a randomized controlled intervention study with a waiting list-control-group design is realised. assessments will be made at baseline, after 4 months (progress), after ending with the training (termination) and at 6 months post treatment (follow-up).

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * family caregiver of an adult with a stroke, cerebral haemorrhage or traumatic brain injury * sufficient german language skills * at least 3 months after the brain injury * access to a computer with internet access * minimum age of 18 years * informed consent to participate voluntarily in the study exclusion criteria * acute suicidal tendency

Keywords: internet-based supportive coaching guided self-help caregivers brain injury caregiver burden coping stress depression