Behavioral Issues Following Brain Injury: Strategies for Families

Common behavioral issues following brain injury range from reduced self-awareness, mood swings, poor motivation, and difficulties with executive functioning. These issues can greatly affect the ability to navigate daily life and maintain healthy social relationships, particularly impacting families. In this Carolyn Rocchio Caregivers webinar, Chrystal Fullen, Psy.D., provides a detailed review of these behavioral issues and how we can use symptom identification, environmental modifications, and interpersonal strategies to decrease their impact on the family.

Session Objectives:

• Describe the common behavioral issues that occur following brain injury.
• Discuss strategies to identify behavioral triggers and factors that worsen problematic behavior.
• Identify techniques that families can use to cope with behavioral challenges, including communication tips and the promotion of positive behaviors in the home.
• List available national resources for support.

Chrystal Fullen, Psy.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine. She provides outpatient neuropsychological assessments in the Psychiatric Research Institute’s Walker Family Clinic and in specialty Neurology Clinics. In addition, she provides inpatient services in the Tier I Trauma Surgery Department and directs the outpatient neuropsychology cognitive rehabilitation program. She also collaborates in multidisciplinary research and supervises neuropsychology and psychology fellows and interns. She received her doctorate in counseling psychology from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, and completed an internship in clinical neuropsychology at the South Texas VA. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at UAMS.