Sexual Functioning, Desire, and Satisfaction in Women with TBI and Healthy Controls

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can substantially alter many areas of a person\u27s life and there has been little research published regarding sexual functioning in women with TBI. Methods. A total of 58 women (29 with TBI and 29 healthy controls) from Neiva, Colombia, participated. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in sociodemographic characteristics. All 58 women completed the Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire (SQoL), Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI), Sexual Desire Inventory (SDI), and the Sexual Satisfaction Index (ISS). Results. Women with TBI scored statistically significantly lower on the SQoL (p \u3c 0.001), FSFI subscales of desire (p \u3c 0.05), arousal (p \u3c 0.05), lubrication (p \u3c 0.05), orgasm (p \u3c 0.05), and satisfaction (p \u3c 0.05), and the ISS (p \u3c 0.001) than healthy controls. Multiple linear regressions revealed that age was negatively associated with some sexuality measures, while months since the TBI incident were positively associated with these variables. Conclusion. These results disclose that women with TBI do not fare as well as controls in these measures of sexual functioning and were less sexually satisfied. Future research is required to further understand the impact of TBI on sexual function and satisfaction to inform for rehabilitation programs

Race/Ethnicity and Retention in Traumatic Brain Injury Outcomes Research: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database Study

Objective: To investigate the contribution of race/ethnicity to retention in traumatic brain injury (TBI) research at 1 to 2 years post-injury. Setting: Community. Participants: 5548 Whites, 1347 Blacks, and 790 Hispanics enrolled in the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database with dates of injury between October 1, 2002 and March 31, 2013. Design: Retrospective database analysis. Main Measure: Retention, defined as completion of at least one question on the follow-up interview by the person with TBI or a proxy. Results: Retention rates 1-2 years post-TBI were significantly lower for Hispanic (85.2%) than for White (91.8%) or Black participants (90.5%) and depended significantly on history of problem drug or alcohol use. Other variables associated with low retention included older age, lower education, violent cause of injury, and discharge to an institution versus private residence. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the importance of investigating retention rates separately for Blacks and Hispanics rather than combining them or grouping either with other races or ethnicities. The results also suggest the need for implementing procedures to increase retention of Hispanics in longitudinal TBI researc

Ethical Considerations in Chronic Brain Injury

A growing number of individuals are living with chronic traumatic brain injury. As these individuals and their families attempt to reintegrate into their communities, several ethical questions arise for clinicians and researchers. These include issues around alignment of perspectives and priorities, as well as responsibilities for ongoing treatment, education, community outreach, and research. An action plan for addressing these questions is outlined

A Mixed Methods Investigation of the Impact of Neurocognition, Gender Role Conflict and Self-Identity on Psychosocial Adjustment to Traumatic Brain Injury

Many persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience substantial emotional distress and psychosocial adjustment difficulties. The contribution of alterations in gender roles and self-identity to psychosocial adjustment has been hypothesized, but not empirically investigated. To address this gap in the research, the current study: (1) assessed experiences of gender role conflict and changes in sense of self after TBI, (2) assessed gender and racial/ethnic differences on gender role conflict and changes in sense of self (3) investigated the mediation effects of cognitive functioning and avoidant coping, and (4) tested a moderated-mediation model of psychosocial adjustment by gender and race/ethnicity. Using an equal-status, concurrent mixed-method approach, 60 persons with TBI, who were at least 3 months post injury, participated in a semi-structured interview regarding the gender role conflict and self-identity after TBI, brief neuropsychological assessments of cognitive functioning, and self-report measures on gender roles, gender role conflict, sense of self, coping, acceptance of disability, anxiety, and depression. Using quota sampling of men and women, forty-eight of the sixty participants completed qualitative interviews based on their racial make-up and stage of recovery. An overall model using structural regression modeling was utilized to test meditational and moderated mediation effects of factors influencing psychosocial adjustment to TBI. Persons with TBI reported gender role conflict and changes in sense of self, which impacted their adjustment to TBI. Avoidant coping fully mediated the relationship between self-identity and psychosocial adjustment. A theory of Reconstructing Identity after TBI emerged from the data, which has implications for clinical practice, service delivery and identifying key factors associated with psychosocial adjustment of a diverse sample of persons with TBI.Social Work, Graduate College o

Stroke Survivor and Caregiver Perspectives on Post-Stroke Visual Concerns and Long-Term Consequences

Approximately 800,000 people in the United States have a stroke annually. Up to two thirds of stroke survivors have some visual problems, which result in disability and can affect survivors’ overall rehabilitation outcomes. Although some post-stroke visual impairments can be corrected and respond well to intervention, ocular signs can be subtle and may not be recognized or reported by the stroke survivor but rather by a vigilant caregiver. The purpose of this study was to explore the post-stroke visual concerns and consequences expressed by stroke survivors and caregivers. This study employed a qualitative design using semistructured interviews conducted with a convenience sample of stroke survivors and caregivers recruited from either a community support group or skilled nursing and long-term care facilities. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Comparative content analysis was used to identify vision-related themes by two independent coders. All research team members completed quality checking of coding. Twenty participants (11 stroke survivors and 9 caregivers) expressed visual concerns or consequences following stroke: (1) eye movement problems, (2) perceptual issues, and (3) consequences of vision problems or issues, which affected their daily life/quality of life. Stroke survivors and caregivers reported receiving vision care from (1) eye doctors, (2) occupational therapists, and (3) other healthcare professionals. All vision care providers need to be observant of potential post-stroke visual concerns. Stroke survivors should have a thorough vision evaluation to optimize their independence in everyday activities and quality of life

Supplemental Material - Vision Impairment and Frailty Among Mexican American Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study

Supplemental Material for Vision Impairment and Frailty Among Mexican American Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study by Mandi L. Sonnenfeld, Monique R. Pappadis, Timothy A. Reistetter, Mukaila A. Raji, Kenneth Ottenbacher, and Soham Al Snih in Journal of Applied Gerontology.</p

EDITORIAL FROM PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL WORK VOLUME 8 (FALL 2009)

Editorial for volume 8 of Perspectives on Social Work, by the editorial board