T7: State-of-the-Science Conference on Community Integration for Persons with TBI
Roundtable Discussion - April 12, 2007
Topic Area: Friendships
Facilitators: Margaret Struchen, Ph.D. and Steve Nowicki, Ph.D.
Recorder: Lynne Davis, Ph.D.
- What research should be addressed in the future to further
the field and address the most relevant gaps in our knowledge? What models/methods
should be utilized?
- Social communication abilities are important for developing friendships. Lack of appropriate measures for social skills/social communication after TBI is an obstacle to developing appropriate treatments. Research is needed to develop and validate tools for assessing social communication abilities. Adaptation of measures used in other disability groups, such as psychiatric and developmental disabilities, is recommended.
- An investigation of a common core set of social skills that are lost among persons with TBI, and that may contribute to loss of friendships, is recommended. Relationship of this set of skills to cognitive changes resulting from TBI would be helpful in developing interventions (e.g., the relationship between deficits in processing of nonverbal information and friendships). However, the heterogeneity of social communication functioning among persons with TBI should be considered, especially with regard to pre-injury skills.
- The course of social communication abilities and friendships over time should be investigated using a longitudinal research design. It should be recognized that persons with TBI have different deficits at different time points in recovery. Accordingly, interventions may have varying levels of effectiveness depending upon the time point at which they are introduced.
- An investigation of friendships which end could elucidate the reasons for failed relationships. Similarly, an investigation of friendships which endure could clarify strengths that could serve as starting points for interventions.
- Research is needed to investigate the impact of friendships and loss of friendships on the physical and mental health of persons with TBI, as well as on their quality of life.
- Studies examining the effectiveness of social communication skills interventions are needed. Individual and group interventions are being conducted, but empirical evaluation is lacking.
- Adaptation of mentoring programs to increase social networks is recommended. For example Circle of Friends, Big Brother-Big Sister, and peer mentoring programs could be adapted for persons with TBI. The effectiveness of such programs for increasing social networks and improving friendships should be investigated through empirical study.
- Investigation of the effectiveness of intervening in existing social networks is recommended. For example, education of persons close to the person with TBI early on after injury could help them to learn how to provide support with respect to maintenance of friendships.
- What collaborations could be fostered to address this
topic area?
- Collaborate with faith-based communities to help reach out to persons
with TBI.
- Developmental disabilities
- Attempt to obtain research funding by using dyssemia as a diagnosis.
