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This is a correlational and descriptive study. The purpose of the study was to realize the perceived stress and coping strategies of family caregivers before and after the head injury patient''s discharge. The relationship of the stress and the coping strategies and the factors related to stress coping also were examined. Twenty head injury patients and their family caregiver were selected by purposive sampling. Two instruments, the Stress Survey and the Caregiver coping Inventory, developed by the investigator were used to measure perceived stress and coping strategies of family caregivers. Data were collected by means of chart review, patient observation, and interview. The results of the study revealed that the stress from the patient''s physical symptoms, the impaired cognitive function and knowledge deficit decreased significantly one month after patient''s discharge. Before and one month after patient''s discharge, whether there are disputs on the event and the patient''s GOS score are the main predicting factors in the perceived stress of family caregivers, respectively. The coping strategies used did not change a lot one month after patient''s discharge. Whether there was drinking on the accident is a significant predictor in the frequency of the coping strategies used. A significant relationship was observed between the perceived stress from the impact of the family function and the coping strategies used before patient''s discharge. After patient''s discharge, the stress from the lack of knowledge in patient care was correlated to the coping strategies used.
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