Associations between coping style, illness perceptions and self-reported symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury in prospectively studied pre-morbidly healthy individuals. Issue 6 (2nd July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Anderson, Jacqueline F. I.; Fitzgerald, Paul
• Is Part Of: Neuropsychological rehabilitation. Volume 30:Issue 6(2020)
• Page Start: 1115
• Page End: 1128
• Publication Date: 2020-07-02
• Subjects: Mild traumatic brain injury -- Coping -- Illness perceptions -- Self-reported symptoms -- Post-concussion syndrome; Brain damage -- Patients -- Rehabilitation -- Periodicals; Clinical neuropsychology -- Periodicals; 617.4810443
• DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2018.1556706
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0960-2011

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This study investigated whether coping style and/or illness perceptions are related to the severity of self-reported post-concussion syndrome (PCS) symptoms in the post-acute period after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). We hypothesised that reporting of early and late enduring-type PCS symptomatology (self-reported symptoms) would be significantly and negatively associated with: (a) an active "approach" coping style and (b) the belief that the injury would have negative consequences on the respondent's life. Using a prospective observational design we assessed 61 pre-morbidly healthy individuals who were admitted to hospital after an mTBI. Participants were assessed with measures of coping style and illness perception as well as PCS, depressive, anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptomatology. After controlling for current psychological distress, approach coping style significantly and independently predicted the severity of self-reported symptoms for early-type PCS symptomatology, but not late enduring-type PCS symptoms. The extent to which the respondent believed their symptoms were due to the mTBI significantly and independently predicted both early and late enduring-type PCS symptoms. This study indicates that different patterns of coping and illness perceptions are associated with early vs. late enduring types of PCS symptoms; this may have implications for the treatment of post-injury self-reported symptoms.