Do emotional distress and functional problems in persons with traumatic brain injury contribute to perceived sleep-related impairment in caregivers?

Objective: The goal of this study was to examine the association between characteristics of persons with traumatic brain injury (PwTBI) and perceived sleep-related impairment of the caregivers.

Method: Fifty-two dyads ( = 23 civilians, = 29 service members/veterans [SMVs]) were enrolled. Caregivers completed the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep-Related Impairment computer adaptive test, and PwTBI completed Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders measures of depression, anxiety, anger, cognitive functioning, and upper and lower extremity functioning. Hierarchical linear regression models, stratified by civilian/SMV group, were employed to assess prediction of caregiver-perceived sleep-related impairment from emotional distress of the PwTBI (anxiety, depressed mood, and anger) and perceived functional status of the PwTBI (cognitive, upper extremity, lower extremity functioning).

Results: Compared with caregivers of civilians, caregivers of SMVs reported higher perceived sleep-related impairment. Regression results showed that characteristics of the PwTBI accounted for moderate amounts of variance in the sleep-related impairment of caregivers of both civilians and SMVs. Within-group analyses showed that the strongest predictor of sleep-related impairment of caregivers of civilians was self-reported cognitive function of the PwTBI (β = -0.82, = .08); the strongest predictor of sleep-related impairment of caregivers of SMVs was self-reported anger of the PwTBI (β = 0.54, = .07).

Conclusions: In both caregivers of civilians and SMVs with TBI, characteristics of the PwTBI were related to perceived caregiver sleep-related impairment. These preliminary data can inform future research with larger samples that examine the impact of multiple characteristics of the caregiver and care recipient on caregiver sleep. Findings highlight the potential importance of considering the dynamics of the dyad in rehabilitation programming not only for the PwTBI but for caregivers as well. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).