The process of posttraumatic growth in individuals with traumatic spinal cord injury in Mainland China: An interpretative phenomenological analysis

Abstract

This study aims to explore the process of posttraumatic growth for individuals who have sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants with spinal cord injury from the local community. Interviews were recorded on audiotape and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three superordinate themes emerged: struggling in hopelessness, disentangling from disability, facing challenge, and achieving positive growth. Our findings reveal how individuals with spinal cord injury overcome their disability to achieve personal growth, and can contribute to clinicians' understanding of psychological responses to spinal cord injury while promoting physical and psychological recovery in these individuals.

Psychological morbidities and positive psychological outcomes in people with traumatic spinal cord injury in Mainland China

“…Thirdly, specialized rehabilitation institutions and multidisciplinary establishments have been inadequate in the field of SCI rehabilitation in China. Most new SCI patients have had to discharge from acute rehabilitation before they had the functional skills necessary to successfully return to the community [18]. The prevalence of anxiety in this study was 29%, which is consistent with the anxiety levels reported by hospitals (27%) and communities (29%) in a prior meta-analysis [7].…”

“…However, it ignores their psychological problems and rehabilitation. As one qualitative study revealed, most individuals with SCI have experienced a series of traumas, including disabled body, a broken marriage, distress from complications, and isolation from society [18]. Thirdly, specialized rehabilitation institutions and multidisciplinary establishments have been inadequate in the field of SCI rehabilitation in China.…”

“…Although PTG was found to be correlated with the three morbidities, it was not a strong predictor. Some studies reveal that people with high levels of PTG will recover more, and others conclude that PTG always coexists with mental distress [15,18,38,39]. The rehabilitation mechanism will be a good subject for further study.…”

“…It largely ignores the psychological consequences and rehabilitation. Some health-care providers lack awareness of the humanistic care and psychological rehabilitation [18]. Since 2009, the Chinese Association of Persons with Physical Disability has been running a government-supported rehabilitation project called 'halfway home'.…”

The psychological trajectory in a patient with vertebral and spinal cord injury sequels

“…В то же время Y. Wang и соавт. [12] выделяют три основные темы пациентов с ПСМТ: борьба с безнадежностью, принятие вызова и лич-ностный рост.…”