Resilience following spinal cord injury: a phenomenological view

Study design: Qualitative research design involving semi-structured focus groups. Objectives: To increase current understanding of how persons with spinal cord injuries (SCI) define resilience and what factors contribute to their resilience or the resilience of others. Setting: Inpatient rehabilitat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Spinal cord 2014-03, Vol.52 (3), p.197-201
Main Authors: Monden, K R, Trost, Z, Catalano, D, Garner, A N, Symcox, J, Driver, S, Hamilton, R G, Warren, A M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
692/699/375/1824
692/700/565/491
Adaptation, Psychological - physiology
Adolescent
Adult
Anatomy
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Female
Human Physiology
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Neurochemistry
Neuropsychology
Neurosciences
original-article
Qualitative Research
Resilience, Psychological
Social Support
Spinal Cord Injuries - psychology
Spinal Cord Injuries - rehabilitation
Spirituality
Young Adult
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Summary:Study design: Qualitative research design involving semi-structured focus groups. Objectives: To increase current understanding of how persons with spinal cord injuries (SCI) define resilience and what factors contribute to their resilience or the resilience of others. Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation program in a large urban city in the Southwestern United States. Methods: A convenience sample of 28 participants (14 current patients; 14 former patients) participated in semi-structured focus groups led by the research investigators. Results: Through a constant comparative analysis of the data, six themes emerged in participants’ responses regarding what they believed contributed to their own resilience in adapting to SCI. The six themes included psychological strength, social support, perspective, adaptive coping, spirituality or faith, and serving as a role model or inspiring others. Conclusion: Consistent with previous research findings, individuals with SCI identified positive thinking (for example, optimism, hope and positive attitude), perseverance and determination, and social support from friends and family as important contributors to their ability to adapt in spite of experiencing traumatic events that resulted in SCI. Findings provide richness and depth to current empirical conceptualizations of resilience.
ISSN:1362-4393
1476-5624
DOI:10.1038/sc.2013.159