Psychological investigation of spinal cord injury patients. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Spinal cord injuries (SCI) often have psychological consequences, primarily anxiety and depression, which may interfere with rehabilitation possibilities, with adjustment to the impairment and therefore with the possibility of returning to previous familiar social life and work. To assess the degree of anxiety and depression in SCI patients, and to study the factors contributing to their genesis, 100 SCI in- and out-patients were administered questionnaires for self-rating anxiety and depression. A group of newly injured patients was followed up for a year after their discharge to study the evolution of the two psychological syndromes. These two psychological pathologies in SCI patients were respectively 13% (anxiety) and 16% (depression). Some characteristics were significantly associated with a higher risk of developing psychological distress: the presence of severe complications, the lack of autonomy, and low educational level. We did not observe any modification of the psychological picture over time. The lack of reduction in anxiety and depression over time could mean that the two pathologies are maintained by the obstacles SCI patients meet every day resulting from their neurological deficit. Our data justify the provision of psychological services for SCI patients in the rehabilitation centres; these services should still be available to the patients even after discharge.

publication date

  • August 1, 1997

Research

keywords

  • Spinal Cord Injuries

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0030869735

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1038/sj.sc.3100437

PubMed ID

  • 9267916

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 35

issue

  • 8