The COMA Family Program: A Skills-Based Resiliency Program for Caregivers of Patients With Severe Acute Brain Injuries (COMA-F)
Coma, Emotional Distress
About this trial
This is an interventional prevention trial for Coma focused on measuring Severe Acute Brain Injury, Emotional Distress
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Eligible caregivers must be caregivers of patients considered to have severe acute brain injury and be unable to communicate with their loved one or clinical team due to their incapacitated nature. Caregivers must meet the following inclusion criteria: Age 18 or older English-speaking Confirmed by the primary clinical team as the primary caregiver for a patient who: a. Is age 18 or older; b. Has been admitted to the ICU with a severe acute brain injury: i. Ischemic stroke ii. Intracerebral hemorrhage iii. Subarachnoid hemorrhage iv. Traumatic brain injury v. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy; c. In the judgment of the medical team, has had a Glasgow Coma Scale score below 9 while not intubated OR an inability to following meaningful commands while intubated at any point during his or her hospitalization course for greater than 24 consecutive hours, felt to be due to the brain injury itself and not a confounding factor (i.e., sedation, seizures, etc.); d. Is still alive in the ICU at the time that the clinical team approaches the primary caregiver about possible recruitment; e. Has a prognosis for survival of greater than 3 months and does not have a concurrent diagnosis of a terminal illness or injury, as judged by the clinical team. Exclusion Criteria: Patient has terminal diagnosis Caregiver has: Lack of access to internet and/or a device with a camera Current untreated or unstable severe mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or active substance use
Sites / Locations
- Massachusetts General Hopsital
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Experimental
Intervention
Caregivers will participate in 6 30-minute skills sessions. A clinical psychologist will deliver all of the sessions. The main intervention goal is to provide dyads with resiliency skills to reduce emotional distress and prevent chronic distress.