Article

This is a single-group, retrospective study.The objective of this study was to understand the factors contributing to satisfaction with
life (SWL) among veterans with a spinal cord injury (SCI) completing rehabilitation.
This study was conducted at Veterans Administration
Medical Center, San Diego.MethodsBetween 1998 and 2010, N=118 Veterans
participated in a Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities
(CARF)-accredited rehabilitation program after a new SCI. Pre-rehabilitation
measures of impairment at the organ/body level, activity limitation at the person
level and participation restriction at the societal level were used to predict
Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) scores upon discharge.Results:Although
overall mean SWLS admission and discharge scores were not significantly different
(P>0.10), individual change in SWLS scores during rehabilitation was notable,
ranging from a 17-point improvement to a 22-point decline across veterans (mean
Delta=+1.18, s.d.=6.04). Veterans who exhibited less activity limitation (higher
cognitive functioning, r=0.31, P<0.01) and less participation restriction
(greater social integration, r=0.21, P<0.05; a trend toward greater economic
sufficiency, r=0.16, P<0.10) at baseline had higher SWLS scores after
rehabilitation. When these factors were entered together into a single regression
model, only cognitive functioning remained statistically significant
(P<0.05).Conclusion:Findings highlight potential targets for interventions,
aiming to improve SWL post SCI among US veterans. In addition to directly
targeting SWL with psychosocial interventions, results suggest that
rehabilitation settings should continue and/or expand upon programs targeting
cognitive functioning (activity limitation) and social integration (participation
restriction). Nevertheless, additional research is warranted to identify the
biopsychosocial factors most reliably associated with SWL and/or other aspects of
quality of life.

Langue : ANGLAIS