New research highlights the benefits of transitional rehabilitation for families after acquired brain injury

New research involving The Hopkins Centre clinician researchers Kerrin Watter and Areti Kennedy has highlighted the potential benefits of transitional rehabilitation in supporting the wellbeing of family members and other close supporters of people following acquired brain injury (ABI).   

 

Published in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, the study, Emotional wellbeing and caregiving strain in close others following acquired brain injury transitional rehabilitation: A prospective longitudinal study, examined the emotional wellbeing and caregiving experiences of close others supporting a person with ABI as they transitioned from hospital to home.

The transition from hospital to home can be a particularly challenging period for people with ABI and their families. Close others can experience increased stress, anxiety, depression and caregiving strain as they adjust to changes in roles and responsibilities and support their family member’s recovery.

The research evaluated the ABI Transitional Rehabilitation Service (ABI TRS), which uses a family-focused approach to provide rehabilitation support during this transition. Researchers compared outcomes for close others receiving ABI TRS with those receiving treatment as usual.

The study included 70 people with ABI and 77 close others involved in ABI TRS, alongside 82 people with ABI and their close others in the treatment-as-usual group.

While both groups experienced improvements in stress, depression and anxiety symptoms between hospital discharge and three months after discharge, close others who received support through ABI TRS reported significantly lower caregiver strain at three months compared with those receiving treatment as usual. The study also identified factors associated with caregiver strain, with female close others reporting higher levels of strain than male close others.

The findings provide further evidence for the importance of family-focused and transitional rehabilitation approaches, recognising that supporting recovery after ABI extends beyond the individual to include the people who provide ongoing care and support.

 

Kerrin Watter, a Clinical Community Specialist and Speech Pathologist, is a co-author of the study alongside Mandy Nielsen, Jacqueline Byrne, J. K. Bohan and Areti Kennedy, a Physiotherapist and Manager of the Acquired Brain Injury Transitional Rehabilitation Service (ABI TRS). 

The findings contribute to a growing body of research highlighting the importance of supporting families and close others as part of the rehabilitation journey and strengthening the transition from hospital-based care to life at home and in the community.

 

The research was completed by the Acquired Brain Injury Transitional Rehabilitation Service (ABI TRS) and was funded directly by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC).

Read the publication:

Nielsen, M., Watter, K., Byrne, J., Bohan, J. K., & Kennedy, A. (2026). Emotional wellbeing and caregiving strain in close others following acquired brain injury transitional rehabilitation: A prospective longitudinal study. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2026.2702043