Is Self-Efficacy Related to the Quality of Life in Elite Athletes after Spinal Cord Injury?

Abstract

Background: A spinal cord injury (SCI) is a traumatic event that affects every aspect of life: physical, mental, economic, and social. The main aim of this study was to investigate self-efficacy, quality of life, and their correlations among outstanding athletes who have suffered spinal cord injuries, and to determine whether these individuals have specific psychological characteristics that contribute to a better quality of life. Methods: The study involved nine athletes with at least national-level achievements in sports prior to an SCI. Participation in the study consisted of an interview via an online communicator, followed by an online questionnaire consisting of a personal questionnaire and two scales: The World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQoL-BREF), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). Results: Spearman’s correlation showed a correlation between general self-efficacy, perception of quality of life, and satisfaction with own physical health, as well as psychological resources and environmental support. Conclusions: Involvement in an environment that was important to the injured person before the accident, in either a passive (in the absence of functional capacity) or active form, promotes a greater sense of self-efficacy and good QoL, regardless of the time that has passed since the accident, and despite high levels of pain or secondary health issues. To fill the gap in professional long-term healthcare services for athletes after SCIs, intervention programs should be considered that support self-efficacy, which is an important factor that can be subject to improvement.

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“…Self‐efficacy is an important factor influencing QoL, which is defined as faith and confidence in one's ability to perform a specific action to achieve a goal 7,8 . It has been found to be correlated with QoL in many chronic diseases, including cancer, 9 stroke, 10 spinal cord injury, 11 diabetes 12 and so on. Notably, self‐efficacy is not a fixed trait and can be modified through psychosocial interventions.…”

Adaptive Sports in Spinal Cord Injury: a Systematic Review

“…Disability acceptance can help mediate a sense of self-efficacy and positive life satisfaction in individuals with SCI and AdS may help mediate this transition [46]. Recent literature suggests that AdS provide persons with disabilities a sense of belonging and purpose [10,43], self-efficacy or confidence [8,9,44,[47][48][49], freedom and autonomy [9,50], continuity and structure [45,50], and hope and motivation [9,10,45]. Furthermore, besides recreational purposes alone, some individuals report that sports help regulate their mood and reduce stress [8,9,50].…”

Effects of a self-efficacy-centred self-management program on neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled trial

“…Previous qualitative studies have found that self-e cacy is an important facilitator of selfmanagement in persons with SCI [13,14]. The development of self-e cacy support interventions will not only improve the self-management of persons with SCI, but also compensate for the lack of long-term health care services [15].…”