Efficacy of support groups for spouses of patients with spinal cord injury and its impact on their quality of life

Abstract

The need for a sound social support system, and its positive impact on physical, mental and behavioural health in the ever-increasing spinal cord injury (SCI) clientele, is undeniable. It is evident from recent research that spousal support should be weighed as an important contributing factor to the ongoing health and well-being of their SCI partners. Stress (severe depressive symptoms) to the care-giving spouses, and implications on their health and thereby the SCI partner, is often underestimated. Thus the present study is an attempt to treat this highly susceptible population through the provision of support groups. This study was a two-group experimental design. The study results bring to light the definite impact of SCI on the spouse's well-being. Thus it is essential to direct research towards life domains designed to improve the quality of life of these individuals. This research demonstrates the unquestionable positive effect of group therapy on the impact of well-being of spouses of SCI survivors. This finding may only be the tip of the iceberg and further research with a larger sample size must be conducted for the adequate generalization of this study.