The women perceived substantial changes in the social network following the SCI, which in several ways affected their ability to participate in occupation. To adapt to their new life situation, the women gradually developed different strategies. The results point out the need to identify persons in the social network that women with SCI develop relations with, and integrate them in the rehabilitation process.
This shows that human encounters are important for persons with disabilities so they can restructure their occupational identity and their needs for participation in occupations. The study also showed that the use of narratives as a tool within rehabilitation could lead to an increased understanding of the subjective changes that occur over time for a person with a disability.
These results show how adults with ADHD can find strategies to become more independent in their performance of everyday activities. Furthermore, this study suggests how occupational therapists can increase opportunities for adults with ADHD to engage in different activities, make choices, and find meaning in everyday activities.
In this study, a qualitative perspective of how 13 women (aged 25 to 61 years) with spinal cord injury perceive the importance of social support for their participation in occupation is presented. The data were collected through repeated in-depth interviews and field notes, and the analysis used a grounded theory approach. The women needed both emotional and practical support, which was important in a time perspective and motivated them to participate in occupation. The women needed to receive support soon after the injury, but after a period of time they needed to give and receive support in a reciprocal fashion. Social support is therefore an effective rehabilitation strategy that can motivate people with disabilities to participate in meaningful occupation. The importance of social support for a person's motivation and ability to participate in occupation expands our knowledge of the relationship between individuals, their social environment, and occupation.
Increasing secondary health complications and a need to save strength/energy influenced participation in activities. Laws and/or governmental policies regarding personal assistance and assistive devices did not always support participation in activities. Interventions should aim to create a balance among activities in everyday life.
Aging with a SCI is a complex daily struggle in order to be able to continue acting and participating in everyday occupations, and thereby this gives implications for a lifelong support. This study provides knowledge that can guide clinicians in their work within this complex area of rehabilitation. Knowledge from this study can guide the work with policy recommendations for healthcare and social service systems.
When using narratives, professionals within health-care could focus on the individual instead of the diagnosis or disability. Further, according to a client-centred perspective it is important to attain the client's experiences and knowledge to gain a more complete picture in order to obtain a profound understanding of the client.
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