Posttraumatic growth in people with traumatic long-term spinal cord injury: predictive role of basic hope and coping

Participants with spinal cord injury (SCI) sustained at least 15 years before the study completed questionnaires measuring posttraumatic growth (PTG), basic hope and coping strategies.

To determine contribution of basic hope and coping strategies to accounting for PTG variability in participants with traumatic long-term SCI.

Polish rehabilitation centres, foundations and associations implementing social inclusion and professional activation programmes. Participants were enrolled based on their medical history by trained rehabilitation specialists and psychologists.

The set of questionnaires included the following: The Post-traumatic Growth Inventory; The Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (COPE); and Basic Hope Inventory.

A study of 169 individuals with paraplegia in the range of PTG showed the highest degree of positive changes in appreciation of life (AL) and the lowest in self-perception. Regression analysis showed that coping strategies such as religion (REL), focus on the problem, humour, alcohol/drug use ideation and basic hope jointly account for 60% of variance of PTG. The highest contribution to accounting for this variability had REL. Also, it was found that coping strategies and basic hope allow to predict variance of individual growth aspects. Age at trauma exposure positively correlated with changes in AL and spiritual change. No significant relationship between growth and age of participants was confirmed.

PTG occurring in people with long-term traumatic SCI is primarily manifested in increased AL. Specific coping strategies and basic hope have a significant role in fostering positive changes.