Adjustment after spinal cord injury: a 9-year longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
To generate longitudinal data on the stability of life adjustment over a 9-year period among a sample of participants with spinal cord injury (SCI).


METHODS
A field study was conducted by surveying the adjustment of a sample of participants with SCI in 1985 and again in 1994.


METHODS
Outpatient files of a large, university hospital in the Midwest.


METHODS
All 235 participants had traumatic onset SCI, were a minimum of 18 years of age at the time of first testing, and were no less than 2 years postinjury. The average age was 46.7 yrs at the time of the 1994 study, with an average of 23.4 yrs having passed since injury.


METHODS
The Life Situation Questionnaire (LSO) was the outcome measure used. It was developed in 1973 to measure mostly objective information on adjustment and quality of life after SCI. It contains 7 scales and 40 individual items that were of interest in the current study.


RESULTS
Declines were identified over the 9-year period in several aspects of subjective well-being, even though there were no declines in overall activity level and some limited increases in participation in employment related activities.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study were in contrast to previous longitudinal follow-ups that identified positive changes over time in both subjective and objective aspects of quality of life. These changes suggest that participants had a less optimistic outlook in 1994 than they did in 1985.
Krause
J S
JS
Crawford Research Institute, Shepherd Center, Atlanta, GA 30309, USA.
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires