Effects of a Web-Based Intervention on Family Functioning Following Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: Investigate effectiveness of an online Counselor-Assisted Problem-Solving (CAPS) intervention on family functioning after traumatic brain injury.

Methods: Participants were randomized to CAPS (n = 65) or Internet resource comparison (IRC; n = 67). CAPS is a counselor-assisted web-based program. IRC was given access to online resources. Outcomes were examined at 6, 12, and 18 months after baseline. Injury severity, age, and socioeconomic status were examined as moderators.

Results: A main effect of time was noted for teen-reported conflict and parent-reported problem solving. CAPS had decreased parent-reported conflict and a reduction in parental effective communication. Effects were specific to subsets of the sample.

Conclusions: CAPS, a family-based problem-solving intervention designed to address problem behaviors, had modest effects on some aspects of family functioning compared with IRC. Effects were generally limited to subsets of the families and were not evident across all follow-up assessments.