The assessment of mood in people with severe cognitive and communication impairments following brain injury: a survey of UK-based professionals.

Aim: Assessing mood via standardized measures and clinical interviews is challenging in people with ongoing cognitive and receptive communication impairments after a severe brain injury. This study examined how healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom assess this population via two online surveys, one of clinical psychologists (CPs) and one of medical professionals (MPs).

Method: Recruitment was completed via social media and invitational e-mails to identified services, professional bodies and special interest groups. Survey responses were via multiple choice and free text. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.

Results: 55 CPs and 29 MPs responded. All respondents reported asking others about the patient's mood, and the majority of both groups interview and observe the patient. 86% of CPs and 45% of MPs use standardized measures. Most of the CPs made adaptations to the measures, as did more than a third of MPs. The majority of both groups made adaptations to the scores.

Conclusions: Most clinicians assessing mood in this population ask others about the person. Mood measures are used, but the administration and score interpretation are frequently adapted, bringing the validity of the use of measures in this population into question. Although there was overlap regarding methods used by surveyed clinicians, there was no clear consensus on how mood should be assessed in this population.