Internet-Based Treatment for Children With Traumatic Brain Injuries & Their Families: Counselor Assisted Problem Solving
Condition: Traumatic Brain Injury
MeSH terms: Brain Injuries; Brain Injuries, Traumatic; Wounds and Injuries
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study will evaluate the effectiveness of an Internet-based psychosocial treatment in
      improving problem-solving, communication skills, stress management strategies, and coping
      among children who have had a traumatic brain injury and their families.
    

Detailed description: 
      A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is caused by a strong blow, jolt, or penetration to the head
      that disrupts normal brain functioning. A TBI can range from a mild concussion to severe
      brain damage. Falls, assaults, and motor vehicle accidents account for more than 50% of TBIs.
      Physical symptoms of a TBI can be subtle to severe and can include nausea, memory loss, mood
      swings, blurred vision, and light-headedness. This type of injury can be very stressful for
      families and can result in feelings of anxiety, burden, and depression among family members.
      A child who experiences a TBI will often display new social and behavioral problems, leading
      to further parental distress and increased family dysfunction. Recent studies have shown that
      problem-solving interventions can reduce caregiver distress and improve child adjustment
      following a TBI. However, access to skilled therapists and specialized care for this kind of
      psychosocial treatment is often limited in many communities. In such communities, the
      Internet offers a new way to meet the mental and other health needs of individuals with TBIs.
      This study will evaluate the effectiveness of an Internet-based psychosocial treatment in
      improving problem solving, communication skills, stress management strategies, and coping
      among teens who have had a TBI and their families.

      Families participating in this study will be randomly assigned to either an Internet-based
      counselor-assisted problem-solving (CAPS) group or an Internet resource comparison group
      (IRC). Participants assigned to CAPS will work with a trained counselor who will guide them
      through a 6-month structured online problem-solving and skill-building program via one-on-one
      videoconference sessions. Families assigned to IRC will receive computers, high speed
      Internet access, and links to brain injury information and resources, but no access to the
      CAPS Web site content. The effectiveness of CAPS will be assessed after treatment and at 6-
      and 12-month follow-up evaluations.
    

Intervention name(s): Counselor-assisted problem solving (CAPS); Internet-resource comparison (IRC)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): In CAPS, a trained counselor will guide families through a 6-month structured online problem-solving and skill-building program via one-on-one videoconference sessions.; Families in the IRC group will receive computers, high speed internet access, and links to brain injury information and resources, but not the CAPS website content.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: TBI; intracranial edema; brain edema; craniocerebral trauma; head injury; brain hemorrhage, traumatic; subdural hematoma; brain concussion; head injuries, closed; epidural hematoma; extra-axial hemorrhage; cortical contusion