Self-management Interventions for Psychological Outcomes Following Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

A spinal cord injury (SCI) is a significant and lifelong neurological injury with devastating physical and psychological consequences. With no established cure, effective selfmanagement of symptoms is essential for maintaining long-term health and wellbeing. Selfmanagement interventions have demonstrated effectiveness for physical symptoms and sequelae. However, less is known about this approach for mental health outcomes. Methodological issues, including variation in the specific skills taught in self-management and a reliance on quasi-experimental and uncontrolled study designs, also limit conclusions regarding efficacy. Greater understanding of the psychological benefits of self-management in SCI may be achieved by consolidating the available high-quality evidence in this field.