Psycho-Emotional Well-Being in Caregivers of People with Acquired Brain Injury: An Exploratory Study on the Human Immersion Model during the Omicron Wave

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a human immersion model (HIM) in improving psychological well-being in caregivers of patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) during the Omicron wave in Italy. Fifteen subjects affected by ABI, who attended our intensive neurorehabilitation unit from January to March 2022 and their caregivers were submitted to the HIM. This novel approach consisted of real long-lasting meetings between the patients and their careers in a hospital setting (1-72 h meeting per week for 8 weeks). Each ABI caregiver was assessed through the administration of a short psychometric battery before starting the first immersion session with their family member and at the end of the HIM. We found significant changes in the caregivers' scores analyzed for anxiety, as per SAS (p < 0.0007, d = 1.02), burden and stress (ZBI-22; p < 0.001, d = 0.65), and emotive intelligence (TEIQue-SF; p < 0.0007, d = 0.82). Our data suggest that the HIM may be useful to promote ABI caregivers' psycho-emotional well-being in the context of critical periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Automated summary

The study aimed to investigate the effects of a human immersion model (HIM) on the psychological well-being of caregivers of patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) during the Omicron wave in Italy. Fifteen ABI patients and their caregivers, who attended the intensive neurorehabilitation unit from January to March 2022, were subjected to the HIM. Significant improvements were observed in caregivers' anxiety scores (SAS), burden and stress (ZBI-22), and emotive intelligence (TEIQue-SF) after the HIM. These findings suggest that the HIM may be beneficial in promoting the psycho-emotional well-being of ABI caregivers, especially during critical periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic.