This study builds on our earlier investigation (see Ganesalingam et
al., 2006). We showed previously that children
with moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI) had poorer
self-regulation and social and behavioral functioning than their uninjured
peers and that self-regulation predicted significant variance in parent-
and teacher-rated social and behavioral outcomes, regardless of the
presence or absence of TBI. In this study, we examine self-regulation as a
mediator of the relationship between TBI and the outcomes. Participants
included 65 children with moderate to severe TBI and 65 children without
TBI matched for age and gender. Participants were between 6 and 11 years
of age. Children completed an assessment of cognitive, emotional, and
behavioral self-regulation, and social and behavioral functioning.
Mediation was assessed using a bootstrapping approach (a relatively novel
statistical method for assessing specific indirect effects in models with
multiple mediators). Analyses indicated that, after controlling for
socioeconomic status (SES), aspects of self-regulation accounted for
individual variation in the outcomes, and acted as a significant mediator
of the effects of TBI on the outcomes. Self-regulatory deficits may
reflect the relative vulnerability of the prefrontal cortex to TBI and may
help account for post-injury difficulties in social and behavioral
functioning. (JINS, 2007, 13, 298–311.)