Family caregiving of persons following neurotrauma: issues in research, service and policy.

Family caregivers of persons following neurotrauma function as de facto extensions of our health care system. Their challenges may result in negative consequences for their physical and mental health, which directly impacts the well-being of their care-recipient. In this paper, we survey current practices in providing caregiver support, outline considerations for developing collaborative interventions, and make recommendations for assessing intervention effectiveness consistent with the nature of the adjustment processes among caregivers and care recipients.