To regain participation in occupations through human encounters--narratives from women with spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
To gain an understanding of how women with spinal cord injury (SCI) experienced human encounters in occupations and how these influenced their participation.


METHODS
The data were collected through two or three in-depth interviews with 13 women (age 25-61 years) with SCI. Data analysis was carried out by using a paradigmatic analysis of narrative data, followed by an interpretation based on a narrative theory.


RESULTS
The results showed a complexity where the women's experiences and acting in human encounters changed over time. In these human encounters the women struggled with conflicts, supported other persons that were insecure and revaluated their apprehension about persons in their social network. These multidimensional human encounters thereby enabled them to regain participation in occupations.


CONCLUSIONS
This shows that human encounters are important for persons with disabilities so they can restructure their occupational identity and their needs for participation in occupations. The study also showed that the use of narratives as a tool within rehabilitation could lead to an increased understanding of the subjective changes that occur over time for a person with a disability.
Isaksson
Gunilla
G
Department of Health Sciences, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. gunilla.isaksson@ltu.se
Josephsson
Staffan
S
Lexell
Jan
J
Skär
Lisa
L
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D009790:Occupations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*