The relationship between perceived personality change in severe head injury and dyadic adjustment

Abstract

This study investigates the relation of the personality change of a severely head-injured patient to the close and intimate marital relationship with his spouse" both variables as being perceived by the spouse. Personalty change is one of the most prominent symptoms of severe head injury, and one of the most difficult to deal with. When the severely head-injured patient returns home, this personality change has an effect on the intimate relationship with his partner or spouse. The stress or burden experienced by the partner of 'the head-injured patient seems to be more the result of behavioral and cognitive symptoms, than of the physical symptoms of the patient (Lezak, 1987; Oddy, Humphrey, & Uttley, 1978a; Thomsen, 1984; Walker, 1972) (Abbreviation abstract)