Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND: The field of positive psychology has grown exponentially within the last decade. To date, however, there have been few empirical initiatives to clarify the constructs within positive psychology as they relate to rehabilitation medicine. Character strengths, and in particular resilience, following neurological trauma are clinically observable within rehabilitation settings, and greater knowledge of the way in which these factors relate to treatment variables may allow for enhanced treatment conceptualization and planning. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to explore the relationships between positive psychology constructs (character strengths, resilience, and positive mood) and rehabilitation-related variables (perceptions of functional ability post-injury and beliefs about treatment) within a baseline data set, a six-month follow-up data set, and longitudinally across time points. METHODS: Pearson correlations and supplementary multiple regression analyses were conducted within and across these time points from a starting sample of thirty-nine individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) in an outpatient rehabilitation program. RESULTS: Positive psychology constructs were related to rehabilitation-related variables within the baseline data set, within the follow-up data set, and longitudinally between baseline positive psychology variables and follow-up rehabilitation-related data. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings support relationships between character strengths, resilience, and positive mood states with perceptions of functional ability and expectations of treatment, respectively, which are primary factors in treatment success and quality of life outcomes in rehabilitation medicine settings. The results suggest the need for more research in this area, with an ultimate goal of incorporating positive psychology constructs into rehabilitation conceptualization and treatment planning.

Objective: Cognitive and emotional symptoms are primary causes of long-term functional impairment after acquired brain injury (ABI). Although the occurrence of post-ABI emotional difficulties is well-documented, most investigators have focused on the impact of depression on functioning after ABI, with few examining the role of anxiety. Knowledge of the latter's impact is essential for optimal treatment planning in neurorehabilitation settings. The purpose of the present study is therefore to examine the predictive relationships between cognition, anxiety, and functional impairment in an ABI sample. Method: Multiple regression analyses were conducted with a sample of 54 outpatients with ABI. Predictors selected from an archival data set included standardized neuropsychological measures and Beck Anxiety Inventory scores. Dependent variables were caregiver ratings of functional impairments in the Affective/Behavioral, Cognitive, and Physical/Dependency domains. Results: Anxiety predicted a significant proportion of the variance in caregiver-assessed real-life affective/behavioral and cognitive functioning. In contrast, objective neuropsychological test scores did not contribute to the variance in functional impairment. Neither anxiety nor neuropsychological test scores significantly predicted impairment in everyday physical/dependency function. Conclusion: These findings support the role of anxiety in influencing functional outcome post-ABI and suggest the necessity of addressing symptoms of anxiety as an essential component of treatment in outpatient neurorehabilitation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).