Longitudinal changes in adjustment after spinal cord injury: a 15-year study

Abstract

Research on changes in adjustment after spinal cord injury (SCI) has produced mixed results. Whereas cross-sectional research has suggested that adjustment declines with increasing age, but improves with greater time since injury, longitudinal research has suggested that some limited positive changes in adjustment occur over an 11-year period. The purpose of the current study was to identify the stability of adjustment over a 15-year period after SCI. One hundred thirty-five participants with SCI completed Life Situation Questionnaires (LSQ) in both 1974 and 1989. T-test comparisons were made on five adjustment scales and 15 individual items. The results suggested several positive changes in adjustment during the 15 years including increased sitting tolerance, more years of education, greater satisfaction with finances and employment, and a higher percentage of persons working. Decreases were noted in the number of hospitalizations and the number of days hospitalized. Given the average number of years since injury (9.3 years in 1974; 24.3 years in 1989), the results suggest that adjustment will at worst be stable, and at best will improve significantly with time.