The Investigators are employing a Trials within Cohorts research design. That is, they are conducting a prospective longitudinal cohort study, with the cohort serving as a platform in which future studies or interventions can be tested. In accordance with this approach, eligible participants who have given consent to be contacted in the future may be selected and approached for future participation in randomized controlled trials.
The purpose of the present study is to follow unpaid caregivers of ABI survivors in Nova Scotia over time to learn more about their experiences. The study is funded by the Government of Nova Scotia (i.e. Department of Health and Wellness). The present longitudinal cohort study will help increase knowledge about ABI caregivers at a provincial level. Findings will also be used in developing future interventions to help caregivers in this population.~The goals of the research study are:~To understand the natural experiences of unpaid caregivers over time. More specifically, the investigators hope to learn about the experiences of unpaid caregivers of acquired brain injury survivors in Nova Scotia.~To examine the connection between study demographic variables (e.g. the amount of time spent caregiving in hours per week), and psychological outcome variables (e.g. caregiver burden).~To learn about the relationship between psychological outcome variables (e.g. psychological distress and savouring).~To provide a platform for future studies using the Trials within Cohort (TwiC) study design.