Assessment of Quality of Life and Psychological Status in Spinal Cord Injury after Spinal Fracture

Abstract

Study design: A retrospective study Objectives: To study the socio-psychological adaptation through the psychoanalysis in the patients with spinal cord injury. Materials and Methods : From May 1998 to Aug. 2003 we chose the 15 patients who have been undergone surgery for spinal cord injury after spinal fracture. Psycological analysis were based on the Korean version of Beck Depression Index(K-BDI), Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory(MMPI), and valuation of quality of life. R e s u l t s: K-BDI applied results showed an average of 33.5±10.3, having a higher average than normal. Hamilton Anxiety Scale resulted with an average of 32.4±9.4. 4 patients were taken intensive care psychologically beause of depression. The Lie score out of the MMPI’s suitability scale showed 43.3±9.7, Validity score as 75.4±23.6, and Defensiveness score with 47.7± 10.6 as average and standard deviation, resulting a higher as to normal. Further more, clinical scales of Hypochondriasis scale was 69.9±12.6, Depression as 65.5±15.3, Hysteria scale as 67.9±11.5, Psychopathic deviate as 65.6±12.1, Paranonia as 71.9± 17.6, Psychasthenia scale as 67.9±12.3, Schizophrenia as 70.4±17.8, Hypomania scale as 54.0±11.3, and social introversion scale as much as 60.1±15.0 higher than normal. In evaluation the quality of life, there was a prominent issue in the occupation(0.1) and economic independence(0.5) out of the total 6 items, difference was 0.6, social adaptation was 0.8, physical independence was 0.7 and orientation(1.6) was similar to normal person. Conclusion: As the physical and the psychological changes abrupt at the same time with the spinal cord injury, it is important to encourage the patients to have a strong ego to have an optimistic confidence of recuperation.