Substance Abuse,Brain Injury,and Family Adjustment

Abstract

There is clearly a significant relationship between substance use and brain injury. This relationship often begins at the time of brain injury and continues throughout rehabilitation to community reentry. Family adjustment to brain injury is complicated by the issue of substance use/abuse. Successful substance use/abuse intervention is greatly assisted by family involvement, which must begin at the time of injury with information regarding the role of substances in the occurrence of the injury. Continued involvement of the family through education is very helpful throughout the entire rehabilitation process. Unfortunately, family involvement is not always optimal; therefore, it is necessary for the rehabilitation team to evaluate the family’s role in substance use interventions. In assisting the family to understand the role of substance use and the need for abstinence in rehabilitation, it is helpful to define the problem. This article discusses a differential categorization system that is divided into prevention and treatment dimensions. Categorization allows for the most efficient application of a wide range of interventions.