Factors determining social (interpersonal) support in patients with vertebro-spinal cord injury

• Main Authors: I. D. Boulyubash, O. S. Bashta
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: IMA-PRESS LLC 2016-03-01
• Series: Nevrologiâ, Nejropsihiatriâ, Psihosomatika
• Subjects: spinal cord injury; rehabilitation; social (interpersonal) support; patients' social network parameters; social skills assessment; psychotherapy.
• Online Access: https://nnp.ima-press.net/nnp/article/view/582

Objective: to study relationships between the specific features of the social network of patients with vertebro-spinal cord injury sequels (VSIS), subjectively perceived and actual social support, and social skills assessment by the patients.Patients and methods. In 2014–2015, a psychodiagnostic study was conducted in 41 VSIS patients (32 men and 9 women), including 18- to 20-year-olds (n=5), 21- to 30-year-olds (n=18), 31- to 40-year-olds (n=9), 41- to 50-year-olds (n=4), and patients over 50 years of age (n=5). Paraplegia (paraparesis) and tetraplegia (tetraparesis) were present in 30 and 11 patients, respectively. The duration of VSIS was 1 to 125 months. Correlations between different types of subjectively perceived and actual social support and the parameters of a social network of the patients were assessed.Results. Correlation analysis has showed that there is a need for psychotherapeutic interventions related to social network extension for patients so that the latter should have sufficient and persistent interpersonal support.