Improving the long-term adjustment of spinal cord injured persons

Study Design: The study involved the long-term assessment of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) who previously participated in a nonrandomized longitudinal controlled trial. Objectives: The objective was to report on the effectiveness of early psychological intervention in improving some aspects of adjustment to SCI 2 years post injury. Setting: The study was conducted in Sydney, Australia. Methods: Twenty-eight SCI persons who had participated in group Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) during hospital rehabilitation were assessed for drug usage, hospital readmissions, relationships, perceived adjustment and social discrimination 2 years after treatment. The intervention group's responses on the measures were compared with a control group of 31 SCI persons who only received traditional rehabilitation services during their hospitalization. Results: Subjects in the treatment group experienced less hospital re-admissions, used less drugs and reported higher levels of adjustment compared to the control group. Relationships were stable for both groups and there were no suicides in either group up to 2 years. There were no differences in perceived social discrimination between the two groups. Conclusion: The study suggests the long-term adjustment for SCI persons is encouraging for the majority. However, the provision of group CBT for SCI persons appears to improve significantly some aspects of adjustment to the injury in the long-term.