This study examines the validity of using a combination of two psychometric measures,
an emotional adjustment measure, and functional assessment measures to predict
vocational outcome in a traumatically brain injured population. Patients included 33
males and 11 females, with an average age of 32.3 years, and a stable work history
over the past three years prior to injury. All had sustained a traumatic brain injury in
the 12 months prior to initial testing, with a mean of 3.8 months since injury. Levels
of severity of injury included 24 patients with severe injury, 12 patients with moderate
injury, and 8 patients with mild injury. Patients completed the Logical Memory subtest
(LM) of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test
(PASAT), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Personal Capacities Questionnaire
(PCQ). A clinician working closely with the patient also completed the Functional
Assessment Inventory (FAI) and the Behavior Checklist (BC) at the time of initial
testing. Follow-up testing on available patients (n=16) was completed approximately
six months after initial testing. Comparison of the functional assessment measures
demonstrated that patients exhibited a decreased awareness of functional limitations
relative to clinician's ratings, but identified an increased number of personal strengths.
The present study demonstrates the first comparison of FAI and PCQ ratings in a TBI
population, as well as the first available field research using the PCQ. Results also
indicated that the only significant predictor on earned income after six months was the
overall functional limitations score on the PCQ. The only significant difference in
patients' test performance at six months with scores at initial testing was seen on the
PASAT, which suggested that patients had a significant improvement in their speed of
information processing after six months. In addition, comparison of patients from
Canadian and American rehabilitation agencies, respectively, revealed no significant
differences between patients at either initial testing or at follow-up. / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/9446 |
| Date | 13 June 2018 |
| Creators | Biggan, Shannah Lynne |
| Contributors | Graves, Roger Elliott |
| Source Sets | University of Victoria |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | Available to the World Wide Web |
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