Defining the Scope of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Managing Psychosocial Difficulties Following Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Published 16th December 2025
Background: Psychosocial difficulties or reduced functioning in social-cognitive, emotional/mental health, or behavioural domains are common following moderate-to-severe TBI. However, there is currently no Australian-based guideline for management of these difficulties. To inform development of such a guideline, we aimed to integrate evidence available with stakeholder input to establish the guideline scope.
Methods: Overarching governance for the project was provided through an established Guideline Development Group who oversaw the four key steps of the scoping process: (1) initial areas of relevance were generated; (2a) scoping reviews were conducted to establish the availability of evidence; (2b) priority surveys with health professionals (n = 86) and individuals with lived experience of TBI or close others (n = 54) were completed; (3) a panel comprising 26 experts convened at a one-day workshop to conceptualise the initial guideline scope; and (4) the scope was then iteratively refined, leading to a scoping document specifying the key clinical questions, difficulties/disorders, and treatment outcomes the guideline would address.
Results: The scoping reviews identified intervention studies across mental health (n = 74), behaviour (n = 55), and social cognition (n = 19). Survey results prioritised most psychosocial difficulties and identified key treatment outcomes. The final guideline scope included one key clinical question relating to treatment effectiveness, four sub questions related to treatment decisions for specific groups and circumstances, and two areas of additional commentary to supplement recommendations.
Conclusions: The methodology used to establish the guideline scope will facilitate the development of a clinical practice guideline for the management of psychosocial difficulties in adults with moderate-to-severe TBI.
Citation
Emery H, Wong D, Simpson G, Gertler P, Carrier S, McDonald S, Ownsworth T, Douglas J, Wearne T, Morgan A, Tate R, Zuber OJ, Skromanis S, Doubleday J, Honan C. Defining the Scope of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Managing Psychosocial Difficulties Following Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. Brain Impairment 2025; IB25082. https://doi.org/10.1071/IB25082
Authors
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