title: Coping strategies recalled by young adults who sustained a spinal cord injury during adolescence.
abstract: METHODS
  Qualitative study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine categories of coping the first year after injury used by 24 young adults who sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI) during adolescence (11-15 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  Content analysis using the existing theories of coping as a framework, including the instrument BriefCOPE-a deductive category application. The analysis looked critically at comments in the interviews that reflected attempts to cope with the injury during the first post-injury year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 14 of the categories of coping described by the BriefCOPE were included in the interviews at least once, except 'self-blame', which was not used by any interviewee. In addition to the predefined categories of the BriefCOPE, three new coping categories emerged from the interviews: fighting spirit, downward comparison and helping others.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescents who sustain SCIs use a variety of strategies to help them to cope with the consequences of the injury. Many of these coping strategies are similar to those used by others facing stresses, but it is instructive to hear, in their own words, how young adults recall the coping strategies they used as adolescents when they were injured and also how they conceptualized the process of coping. This information can be useful in helping future patients.
authors: Department of Research and Development, Vasternorrland County Council, Sundsvall Hospital, Sundsvall, Sweden. Marika.augutis@lvn.se
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Augutis
authors: C J
authors: CJ
authors: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult