What factors should be considered in rehabilitation: Are anger, social desirability, and forgiveness related in adults with traumatic brain injuries?

This study evaluated the relationship between anger and forgiveness from a moral developmental view, in 51 adults having mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries. Individuals with brain injuries have been reported to display problematic psychosocial sequelae including anger. The Enright Forgiveness Inventory, the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale were used to evaluate the relationship between forgiveness, anger, and social desirability. A significant inverse relationship was found between anger and forgiveness, and between anger and social desirability. Additional insight was obtained from open-ended questions, a demographic sheet relating to the injury, and an anger evoking incident. Findings suggested that practitioners need to attend to psychosocial factors affecting anger when conducting rehabilitation programs with patients having brain injuries.