This paper investigates the effects of a six-week memory rehabilitation programme on the self-esteem of 18 patients with traumatic head injury, and the effects of the intervention on the level of subjective burden experienced by 18 relatives or primary carers of the head-injured patients, regardless of the efficacy of the programme itself. The study found a significant improvement in the head-injured patients' self-esteem and a significant decrease in the perceived burden of the relatives at the end of the six-week intervention. Possible explanations for these findings are suggested, and the practical implications for rehabilitation are discussed
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