Family functioning and functional independence in spinal cord injury adjustment

The relationships among functional independence, perceived family functioning and duration of disability were studied in 41 non-institutionalised post-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) families. Correlational analyses revealed that SCI subjects with greater self initiation of activities, increased social involvement and higher overall level of independence perceived their family environment as affectively responsive, open in communication and clear in delineation of role responsibilities. The 'significant other's' (A 'significant other' is designated by the SCI subject as 'the one most involved with you'. The 'significant other' had to be living with or within 25 miles of the SCI subject and in contact at least 3 times a week.) view of the family was unrelated to SCI function. Conversely, for the significant other but not the SCI subject, greater duration of disability predicted more concern for the family's ability to problem solve, delineate roles and maintain standards of behaviour control. Of the functional areas measured, only participation in outside activities increased significantly over time. The results are discussed in terms of the importance of considering the long-term and separate rehabilitation needs of the individual with a SCI and his or her family.