The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to determine the relationships between changes in coping strategies and community integration at 6 and 12 months post traumatic brain injury (TBI). Seventy-one participants were adult significant others (SOs) (family members/friends) of people with TBI. SOs, proxies for TBI patients, completed coping and community integration questionnaire to describe TBI patients’pre-injury status immediately post-injury as baseline information. Followed-up interviewed were completed at 6 and 12 months. Results showed that increased emotional preoccupation coping from baseline to 6 months were significantly associated with decreased productive activities and decreased social integration at 6 months and 12 months and modestly associated with decreased home integration at 12 months. Multivariable regressions showed that changes in emotional preoccupation coping from baseline to 6 months contributed significantly to social integration and productive activities above and beyond demographic factors and injury severity. Implications for cognitive rehabilitation are discussed.

The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to determine the relationships between changes in coping strategies and community integration at 6 and 12 months post traumatic brain injury (TBI). Seventy-one participants were adult significant others (SOs) (family members/friends) of people with TBI. SOs, proxies for TBI patients, completed coping and community integration questionnaire to describe TBI patients’pre-injury status immediately post-injury as baseline information. Followed-up interviewed were completed at 6 and 12 months. Results showed that increased emotional preoccupation coping from baseline to 6 months were significantly associated with decreased productive activities and decreased social integration at 6 months and 12 months and modestly associated with decreased home integration at 12 months. Multivariable regressions showed that changes in emotional preoccupation coping from baseline to 6 months contributed significantly to social integration and productive activities above and beyond demographic factors and injury severity. Implications for cognitive rehabilitation are discussed.