title: Biographical disruption and the experience of loss following a spinal cord injury: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.
abstract: Individual in-depth interviews with eight people who had experienced a total spinal cord injury were conducted, focussing on the experience of living with a spinal cord injury. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and were analysed for recurrent themes using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Here we present three inter-related recurrent themes: 'Loss of control'; 'Loss of independence' and 'Loss of identity'. Participants reported an ongoing sense of loss, characterised largely by a diminishing sense of personal control. This loss of personal control manifested itself in incontinence, emotion and loss of movement. Helplessness and embarrassment were common responses. A loss of independence was associated with incontinence but also with a loss of spontaneity. A loss of identity ensued and participants reported feeling 'invisible'. The findings are discussed in relation to both extant spinal cord literature and chronic health literature. Recommendations for future research are suggested.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Stirling , Stirling , FK9 4LA , UK.
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dickson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.forename: Ronan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: O'carroll
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007063:Identity Crisis; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: IPA; Spinal cord injury; identity; incontinence; loss