Article

This study was a cross-sectional, follow-up survey. OBJECTIVES: To
examine the role of importance of religion and spiritual coping on life
satisfaction in adults with pediatric-onset spinal cord injury (SCI).
This study was carried out in a specialty hospital system. METHODS: Individuals
who sustained an SCI before age 18 completed a structured telephone interview at
ages 24-45. Demographic/medical questionnaires along with standardized measures
were administered: Brief COPE, FIM, Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting
Technique (CHART), 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) and Satisfaction with
Life (SWL) scales. Spirituality was measured with a question assessing importance
of religion and using the spiritual coping domain of the Brief COPE. RESULTS: A
total of 298 individuals (62% men; 56% with tetraplegia) participated in this
study. Approximately half (141) of the participants reported that religion is
'important to very important' to them and 55% (163) used spiritual coping.
Importance of religion and spiritual coping was significantly associated with
older age (P<0.01), longer duration of injury (P<0.01) and higher SWL (P<0.05).
Importance of religion was also related to higher SF-12 mental component
(P<0.05). Spiritual coping was negatively associated with motor independence
(P<0.05) and CHART occupation (P<0.05). Moreover, spiritual coping emerged as a
predictor of SWL, whereas importance of religion did not. CONCLUSION: Over half
of the participants endorsed importance of religion and the use of spiritual
coping. Spiritual coping, in particular, may serve a unique role in promoting
SWL. Consequently, assessment of spirituality needs to become a standard part of
care in the treatment of individuals with SCI and the use of spirituality-focused
interventions to promote SWL should be explored.

Langue : ANGLAIS