Family Hardiness, Social Support, and Well-Being of Thai Traumatic Brain Injury Family Caregivers

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the level of family hardiness, social support, well-being, and the relationships between family hardiness, social support, and well-being among TBI family caregivers. The Family Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation was used to guide this study. Ninety-eight TBI family caregivers were purposively selected from neurosurgical outpatient departments of two tertiary government hospitals in the southern part of Thailand. The set of questionnaires consisted of the Demographic Data Form of Family Caregivers and TBI Persons, the Family Hardiness Index (FHI), the Social Support Index (SSI), and the Family Member Well-being Index (FMWB). The validity and reliability test of these questionnaires were completed and the reliability showed Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the FHI, SSI, and FMWB of .70, .80, and .80, respectively. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. The findings showed that the family hardiness and the social support were at a high level. The TBI family caregivers' well-being was found at a moderate level. There were no significant relationships between family hardiness (r p> .05), social support (r = .09, p>.05) and TBI family caregivers' well-being. = .004, The current findings can be used to plan to enhance a good appraisal and commitment of caregiving to empower a family caregiver's internal strength. Moreover, these findings will be important for health care providers to provide education about a patient's illness management and promote informal network support to decrease tension and maintain the well-being of TBI family caregivers.