Telephone-Delivered Problem-Solving Training After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Qualitative Analysis of Service Members' Perceptions

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify the specific reasons for service members' satisfaction or dissatisfaction with problem-solving training (PST), telephone delivery, and other aspects of a telephone-delivered PST intervention in order to determine what might enhance this approach for future clinical use. Method: Standard qualitative methods were employed, using a "process" coding strategy to explore the conceptual perceptions of the intervention experience as suggested by the data recorded from final telephone interviews of 80 service members who participated in a randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of telephone-delivered PST after having sustained concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries during recent Impact and Implications Although there has been previous research on the acceptability of telephone-delivered interventions and problem-solving interventions, this is the first to undertake a qualitative analysis of what, specifically, active duty service members with mild traumatic brain injuries perceive to be the benefits and limitations of telephone-based problem-solving treatment. The study demonstrates that telephone delivery is a well-accepted method of providing an intervention and that problem-solving training is both acceptable and useful for active duty military personnel who have sustained mild traumatic brain injury. Telephone-delivered problem-solving training may be a useful addition to the clinical armamentarium for military personnel, providing a strategy that appeals to service members who might otherwise avoid or discontinue therapy. Having these therapeutic resources outside the military structure might facilitate soldiers' engagement in therapy.