Biopsychosocial Approaches in Neurorehabilitation

There has been significant progress in the field of neurorehabilitation over the past twenty years, particularly in the assessment and management of cognitive impairment. More recently, the stakeholders in neurorehabilitation - clinicians, researchers, purchasers of services and clients - have become aware of the need to develop systems and services for managing the wide ranging psycho-social sequelae of acquired brain injury (ABI). Mood, behavioural and neuropsychiatric conditions have been found to be highly prevalent. Such disorders, at clinical or sub-clinical levels, are disturbing for clients themselves, and for their families, and present a challenge for enabling survivors to regain social roles. Many individuals also experience difficulties in related areas, such as pain management, drug and alcohol misuse, and in maintaining relationships. Given the wide-ranging psychological, psychiatric, health and social sequelae of ABI, rehabilitation services are often responding to people whose needs are complex and for which the evidence base for practice may be limited. In this Special Issue of Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, leading international experts provide reviews of current thinking on mood, behaviour and neuropsychiatric conditions, along with issues of drug and alcohol use, pain, sexuality and relationships after brain injury. Assessment and management issues are addressed, along with implications for service delivery in developed and in developing world contexts. This Special Issue will be invaluable to a wide range of neurorehabilitation professionals including clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, neurologists, neuropsychiatrists, clinical nurse specialists, physiotherapists, and case managers. The volume will also be of benefit to those planning or purchasing brain injury rehabilitation services.