Predictors of health-related quality of life and participation after brain injury rehabilitation: The role of neuropsychological factors

• Published in: Neuropsychological rehabilitation 2017-05, Vol.27 (4), p.581-598
• Main Authors: Boosman, H., Winkens, I., van Heugten, C. M., Rasquin, S. M. C., Heijnen, V. A., Visser-Meily, J. M. A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Aged; Brain injuries; Brain Injuries - diagnosis; Brain Injuries - psychology; Brain Injuries - rehabilitation; Brain injury; Coping; Demography; Depression; Executive Function; Extraversion; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health status; Hospitalization; Humans; Injuries; Learning potential; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mental depression; Middle Aged; Motivation; Netherlands; Neuropsychological functioning; Neuropsychological rehabilitation; Neuropsychological Tests; Neuropsychology; Neurosis; Neuroticism; Participation; Personality; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Quality of life; Quality of Life - psychology; Rehabilitation; Rehabilitation Centers; Selfawareness; Social Behavior; Stroke; Symptoms; Traumatic brain injury; Treatment Outcome; Verbal memory; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0960-2011; 1464-0694
• DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2015.1113996

The aims of this longitudinal study were: (1) to assess associations between neuropsychological factors and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and participation three months after discharge from inpatient acquired brain injury (ABI) rehabilitation; and (2) to determine the best neuropsychological predictor of HRQoL and participation after controlling for demographic and injury-related factors. Patients with ABI (n = 100) were assessed within approximately two weeks of enrolment in inpatient rehabilitation. Predictor variables included demographic and injury-related characteristics and the following neuropsychological factors: active and passive coping, attention, executive functioning, verbal memory, learning potential, depressive symptoms, motivation, extraversion, neuroticism and self-awareness. Bivariate analyses revealed that passive coping, executive functioning, depressive symptoms, extraversion, and neuroticism were significantly associated with HRQoL and/or participation. Neuropsychological factors significantly explained additional variance in HRQoL (18.1-21.6%) and participation (6.9-20.3%) after controlling for demographic and injury-related factors. However, a higher tendency towards passive coping was the only significant neuropsychological predictor (β = −0.305 to −0.464) of lower HRQoL and participation. This study shows that neuropsychological functioning, and in particular passive coping, plays a role in predicting HRQoL and participation after inpatient ABI rehabilitation and emphasises the importance of addressing patients' coping styles in an early phase of ABI rehabilitation.