Social discomfort in the patient with spinal cord injury

A 20-item inventory of social situations which might create anxiety and/or lead to aviodance in patients with spinal cord injury was administered to 40 male inpatients. The respondents rated each item on the basis of the amount of social discomfort they would feel in the situation. The results were analyzed by dividing the subjects into eight groups based on age, type of injury and length of time since injury. On the total score of the items rated as producing the most discomfort, older patients, regardless of type or duration of injury, perceived themselves as having more social discomfort in these situations than younger patients. Implications for social skills training programs and further assessment procedures are discussed.