Empathy after TBI
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Do empathy changes following a traumatic brain injury alter the quality of couple relationships?
IRAS ID
348831
Contact name
Rodger Weddell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This study explores how moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) impacts empathy and relationship quality.
Participants: Questionnaires will be completed by 65 patients and partners, having sustained a moderate-severe TBI that was treated in Cardiff or Swansea.
Study aims:
• To test our prediction that spouses’ empathy questionnaire scores will be higher than patients’ scores.
• Patients and partners will complete questionnaires assessing emotional status for themselves (yielding a self score) then how they believe their partner would complete them (the latter is the patient proxy estimate). Their partners will also complete the questionnaires for themselves as well as producing a partner proxy estimate. The difference between partner self scores and patient proxy estimates will yield a patient misunderstanding score. Similarly, the difference between patient self scores and partner proxy estimates will measure partner misunderstanding. We will test our prediction that the misunderstanding scores will be higher for patients than for partners.
• If the empathy questionnaire accurately measures behaviour, then self-reported empathy scores will be lower when misunderstanding scores are higher.
• We know that low empathy in one partner generates feelings of isolation and anger in the other. Accordingly, respondants will complete questionnaires measuring perceived isolation in the relationship and anger towards their partner. It is predicted that low empathy questionnaire scores in each respondant will be associated with high scores on questionnaires measuring their partner’s sense of isolation and criticism.We are unaware of any previous report that documents the important data that we intend to gather. Therefore, we expect that this study will also provide publishable, basic quantitative data that will assist the development of assessment and treatment procedures for couples having to deal with empathy impairments following a TBI.
REC name
Wales REC 4
REC reference
24/WA/0308
Date of REC Opinion
21 Jan 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion