Perceived injustice after spinal cord injury: evidence for a distinct psychological construct

Abstract

Study design Cross-sectional study.Objective To identify unique predictors of perceived injustice compared with depression symptoms within the first year after SCI. Setting Inpatient rehabilitation program in a large urban region in the Southwestern United States. Methods A sample of 74 participants with median time since injury of 52 days completed measures of perceived injustice, depression symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, expected disability, pain intensity, and anger. Results Three unique predictors of perceived injustice as compared with depression symptoms were found-time since injury, state anger, and sex. These predictors had significantly different relationships with perceived injustice than with depression symptoms. Conclusions Results replicate previous findings that perceived injustice is moderately correlated with depression symptoms. However, findings also reveal factors uniquely associated with perceived injustice than with depression symptoms, providing support that these are two separate constructs. Thus, these findings support development of novel interventions targeting perceptions of injustice.

Perceived injustice in multiple sclerosis: An initial, exploratory study.

“…All measures were meaningfully correlated when compared to the IEQ overall score, as well as with both subscales independently. Furthermore, as is consistent with prior research, the IEQ overall score was associated with measures of anger (ρ = .384), pain (ρ = .444), depression (ρ = .370), anxiety (ρ = .342), fatigue (ρ = .430), disability (ρ = .379), and HRQOL including Mental HRQOL (ρ = .556) and Physical HRQOL (ρ = .584; Monden et al, 2019; Sullivan et al, 2008; Trost et al, 2015).…”

“…The findings from the correlation analysis are notable and consistent with our hypothesis and previous research involving those individuals with spinal cord injury (Monden et al, 2019); traumatic injury (Trost et al, 2015); and fibromyalgia (Rodero et al, 2012). The IEQ factor of Severity/Irreparability of loss appears to be more strongly correlated with physical manifestations of MS, and therefore it can be interpreted that individuals may perceive physical symptoms of MS as severe, permanent, and not recoverable.…”

“…We examined associations between IEQ scores and external measures including constructs including anger, pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue, disability, and HRQOL, as was represented in patterns of correlations with IEQ scores in previous research involving individuals with spinal cord injury (Monden et al, 2019); traumatic injury (Trost et al, 2015); and fibromyalgia (Rodero et al, 2012). Based on that previous research, we expected that a higher PI would be associated with higher anger, pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and disability, and lower HRQOL and physical activity in MS. We also examined the association between IEQ scores and physical activity as well as sedentary behavior as a potential behavioral correlate of PI in MS.…”

A qualitative exploration of perceived injustice among individuals living with spinal cord injury.

“…Few studies have examined the impact of perceived injustice on outcomes following SCI (Monden et al, 2019; Trost, Monden, Buelow, Boals, & Scott, 2016; Trost et al, 2017). Consistent with the literature, Trost et al (2017) found that among adult inpatients admitted for SCI rehabilitation, higher perceived injustice was associated with depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms.…”

The impact of stigma on psychosocial outcomes following spinal cord injury: A cross-sectional analysis of stigma-mediated relationships.

“…Stigma is significantly related to several of the psychosocial outcomes; however, these bivariate relationships do not account for other important factors (covariates) that may also contribute to the outcome. For example, many studies show pain intensity predicts greater depression symptoms and injustice appraisals among individuals with SCI (Bombardier et al, 2016; Cairns et al, 1996; Monden et al, 2019). Also, following SCI, being male and having decreased mobility are both predictors of lower life satisfaction (Dijkers, 1999; Putzke et al, 2002).…”