Use of Family Focused Therapy in Rehabilitation for Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective: Military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with traumatic brain injury (TBI) present with a complex array of stressors encountered during combat as well as upon re-entry, often with additional physical and mental health comorbidities. This requires an intensive approach to treatment that includes family intervention as a part of rehabilitation. There is a small but growing literature addressing the needs of families when a family member has sustained a TBI. An established treatment intervention for individuals with serious mental illness, such as family focused therapy (FFT), is uniquely suited to address the complexity of issues presented by returning military personnel, and may be adapted for moderate to severe TBI populations. In this article, we discuss the rationale for adapting this family intervention for this population and present a case vignette illustrating adaptations for TBI. Conclusions: The adaptation of an existing family intervention for a chronic condition that focuses on enhancing both individual and family functioning is a useful starting point. With further research to modify FFT for this unique population and establish feasibility, this approach may supplement existing models of family intervention.