@article{ref1,
title="Measuring outcomes of a peer-led social communication skills intervention for adults with acquired brain injury: a pilot investigation",
journal="Neuropsychological rehabilitation",
year="2020",
author="Howell, Susan and Beeke, Suzanne and Pring, Tim and Varley, Rosemary",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="Reduced social competence following severe acquired brain injury (ABI) is well-documented. This pilot study investigated a peer-led group intervention based on the claim that peer models may be a more effective mechanism for behaviour change than clinician-led approaches. Twelve participants with severe ABI were recruited from a post-acute neurorehabilitation setting and randomly assigned to either a peer-led intervention or a staff-led activity group (usual care) (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02211339). The groups met twice a week for 8 weeks. A peer was trained separately to facilitate interaction in the intervention group. Training comprised 16 individual sessions over 4 weeks. Group behaviour was measured twice at baseline, after intervention and at maintenance (4 weeks), using the Adapted Measure of Participation in Conversation (MPC) and the Interactional Network Tool (INT), a newly devised measure of group conversational interaction. Outcome measures showed differential sensitivity. The groups did not differ in baseline behaviour. <br><br>FINDINGS showed a significant improvement in the treated group on the MPC transaction scale post-intervention (<i>p</i> = .02). The intervention group showed more balanced interaction post-intervention on the INT and at follow-up. <br><br>FINDINGS show preliminary evidence of the advantage for peer-led groups. The INT shows promise as a method to detect a change in group communication behaviour.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02211339.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0960-2011",
doi="10.1080/09602011.2020.1760892",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2020.1760892"
}