The present study describes coping strategies in a sample of 37 relatives of patients with severe brain injury and analyses associations between coping strategies and symptoms of anxiety depression and health-related quality of life one year after injury. The participants used the strategies active coping and use of emotional support most frequently. Less used strategies were humour, substance use, behavioural disengagement and self-blame. The results suggest that use of the strategies positive reframing and acceptance was associated with less anxiety, depression and better health-related quality of life one year after injury, whereas the use of the coping strategy denial was associated with a poorer outcome in the relatives.