Role stabilization in families after spinal cord injury

The purpose of this investigation was to determine how family roles changed after spinal cord injury of a child or spouse. Parental and spousal roles--including provider, child care and socialization, housekeeper, sexual, recreational, therapeutic, and kinship roles--were studied. Results indicated that, overall, families that experienced spinal cord injury did not significantly change in role functioning. In most instances, mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives continued to play roles that traditionally were a part of their family functioning. Spinal cord injury, however, was perceived by family members as a crisis event that lessened over time, but that for the majority of respondents continued indefinitely.