The COMA Family Program: A Skills-Based Resiliency Program for Caregivers of Patients With Severe Acute Brain Injuries

The purpose of this study is to pilot a psychosocial skills-based intervention for caregivers of patients with severe acute brain injuries. The data we gather in this study will be used to further refine our COMA-F intervention.

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 olderEnglish-speakingConfirmed 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 diagnosisCaregiver has:Lack of access to internet and/or a device with a cameraCurrent untreated or unstable severe mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or active substance use