Barriers to and facilitators of coping with spinal cord injury for Iranian patients: a qualitative study

The purpose of the present study was to explore the perspectives and experiences of Iranian patients regarding barriers and facilitators to their ability to cope with spinal cord injury (SCI). A qualitative design, based on the content analysis approach, was used to collect and analyze the experiences of 18 patients with spinal cord injury in two centers in Tehran, Iran. After using purposeful sampling for selection of the participants, semi-structured interviews were held for data collection. Lack of "knowledge", "financial resources", "employment opportunities", "suitable facilities and accessibility" as well as "societal acceptance and support" emerged as barriers; and having "self-confidence", "religious beliefs", "support networks" and "positive thinking" emerged as facilitators in coping with spinal cord injury. Participants believed that with these hindering factors in place, adapting to their new condition had been difficult, therefore they can only manage to adapt partially to their situation. Additional multidisciplinary endeavors are needed to help this group cope adequately and further research is required to influence policy making and legislation processes efficiently.