EAST HANOVER, N.J., Oct. 26, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kessler Foundation and Children's Specialized Hospital are actively recruiting children and adolescents with brain injury for this study of cognitive therapy. In children, brain injury (including acquired and traumatic brain injury) can have a diverse and serious impact on emotional well-being. Researchers are examining the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for improving emotional and behavioral problems following brain injury, such as aggression, anxiety, and depression. This treatment incorporates the traditional principles of cognitive therapy with the philosophy of the newer coping strategies offered in mindfulness meditation.
"Mindfulness has been studied extensively in adults in the treatment of symptoms including sadness, anxiety, and excessive anger." said Cherylynn Marino, PhD, the principal investigator of the study. "Although only recently explored in pediatric populations, it holds great promise for youth who have sustained a traumatic or non-traumatic brain injury."
Group Behavioral Intervention
To be eligible, subjects must be 9 to 17 years old, diagnosed with a brain injury, and currently experiencing mild or moderate difficulties regulating their emotions or behaviors.
Participants will be assigned to either the treatment group or the active therapeutic control group. Sessions are held one hour a week for three months at Children's Specialized Hospital sites throughout New Jersey. Families are compensated for their participation.
This study is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research.
About Children's Specialized Hospital
Children's Specialized Hospital is the nation's leading provider of inpatient and outpatient care for children from birth to 21 years of age facing special health challenges — from chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities like brain and spinal cord injuries, to developmental and behavioral issues like autism and mental health. At thirteen different New Jersey locations, our pediatric specialists partner with families to make our many innovative therapies and medical treatments more personalized and effective...so children can achieve more of their goals. To help, or find more information: call 888-CHILDRENS; visit http://www.childrens-specialized.org; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/childrensspecialized; Twitter:http://www.twitter.com/childrensspecnj; YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/cshnj; LinkedIn:http://www.linkedin.com/company/children's-specialized-hospital
About Kessler Foundation: Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research to improve cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes - including employment - for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs to expand opportunities for employment of people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.
To enroll or learn more about this study, contact our research recruitment specialist, Justin Stanley, at 973-243-6812 or at jstanley@kesslerfoundation.org.
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