Predicting effect and evaluating cost-effectiveness of a family intervention after acquired brain or spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled trial.
Karoline Yde Andersen, Frederik Have Dornonville de la Cour, Mia Moth Wolffbrandt and 4 others
PMID 41674107WHAT IT FOUND
An 8-week family intervention improved mental health and reduced anxiety and depression scores more than psychoeducation.
It was likely cost-effective at 2 and 8 months. Benefits did not vary by injury type or whether sessions were in person or online.
Key findings
01The family intervention group showed significant improvements in mental health quality of life, anxiety, and depression scores compared to the psychoeducation group at 2 and 8 months.
02The family intervention had a high probability of being cost-effective compared to psychoeducation, particularly for mental health quality of life.
03Treatment response was similar regardless of injury type, time since injury, delivery format (in-person vs online), or participant relationship.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The predictor analyses were exploratory and conducted on a relatively small sample, limiting statistical power. The cost analysis only covered an 8-month horizon and did not include long-term health and social service utilization costs. The comparison was against an active control group (psychoeducation), not treatment-as-usual alone, which may affect the interpretation of cost-effectiveness in routine practice. Generalizability is limited by the use of specific self-reported outcome measures (MCS, GAD-7, PHQ-9) rather than broader metrics like QALYs.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by unrestricted grants from the Council of Danish Victims Fund and Oestifterne.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the family intervention replaces standard physical or occupational therapy. Both groups received treatment-as-usual, and the study measured psychological outcomes, not physical function or independence in daily activities.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →