Exploring narratives of resilience among seven males living with spinal cord injury: a qualitative study

Abstract

BackgroundIt is a challenge for both individuals and families when an illness or traumatic injury results in a severe spinal cord injury. The on-going physical impairments experienced by persons with spinal cord injury play themselves out over time. Few qualitative studies have explored how health, resilience and wellbeing interplay across time among persons living with the consequences of severe physical injuries. Thus, the aim of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of how individuals with spinal cord injury reflect upon the efforts, strategies and agency they perform to sustain long term resilience and wellbeing.MethodsIn this exploratory qualitative study, we conducted a thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with seven men who had lived with spinal cord injury for 2–32 years and who previously had undergone medical rehabilitation.ResultsThe efforts revealed by the participants in normalising life with a spinal cord injury required continued flexibility, persistency and solution-focused adjustment, interpreted as processes documenting resilience. The participants were marshalling personal resources to handle challenges over time. They explained that they succeeded in maintaining health and wellbeing by manoeuvring between different strategies such as being self-protective and flexible as well as staying active and maintaining a positive attitude. Further, support from relational resources were of utmost importance emotionally, socially and when in need of practical assistance. When harnessing relational resources when needed, the participants underlined that balancing dependence and autonomy to remain a part of ordinary life was essential in staying emotionally stable.ConclusionsThe findings of the present study show similarities to those of previous studies with regard to the participants’ attribution of their resilience and wellbeing to their innate personal abilities and strong connection to their family and friends. In addition, the current participants provide enlightening nuances and depth that expand our understanding of the construct of resilience by highlighting the importance of continuously exerting agency, willpower and strength through rational cognitive strategies to adjust and adapt to chronic and new challenges.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40359-017-0211-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Factors associated with anxiety in family caregivers of children with chronic diseases

“…The anxiety symptomatology in this group of caregivers was positively associated with depression and caregiver burden and was negatively associated with quality of life, negative coping, family support, and social support networks. These results coincide with previous empirical findings [1, 2, 4, 11, 13, 14, 21, 24, 34, 35, 37, 39]. Furthermore, the regression model indicated that depression, a heavy caregiver burden, low emotional well-being, low self-esteem, and a negative coping style helped predict the presence of anxiety in family caregivers.…”

“…Participants responded in writing to A Sociodemographic Variables Questionnaire (Q-SV) that was developed for research on family caregivers of children with chronic diseases [24]. This instrument is composed of 20 items that measure individual, familial, and caregiver factors, such as age, sex, and marital status.…”

“…Regarding sociodemographic variables, recent studies have demonstrated that anxiety in family caregivers is associated with being a female caregiver [4, 24, 25], living in the same home as the patient [26], providing care for younger patients, receiving a poor prognosis [27], being a younger caregiver of ill children [28], being parents and caregivers of children with disabilities [29], psychosocial distress in family caregivers of children with cystic fibrosis [30], and having a low income [31]. In contrast, empirical evidence suggests that social support, appropriate stress management, and changes in one’s beliefs associated with the disease can help reduce anxiety in caregivers and facilitate adjustment to the disease [32–34].…”

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“…Social support: Oslothree-item social support scale, it is a three-item questionnaire, the sum score scale ranging from 3–14, which has three categories: poor support 3–8, moderate support 9–11 and strong support 12–14. 11 …”

Validity and reliability of the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) in family caregivers of children with chronic diseases

“…A Sociodemographic Variables Questionnaire (Q-SV) for research on family caregivers of children with chronic diseases [49]. This instrument is composed of 20 items that measure individual, familial, and caregiver factors such as age, gender, and marital status.…”