There Is More to Life Than Walking: A Qualitative Study of Survivorship Among Peer Mentors in the Spinal Cord Injury Community.

: To identify factors impacting survivorship among people living with spinal cord injury (SCI) and volunteering in a peer mentorship program. : Semi-structured interviews were conducted by a leader of a non-profit organization designed to promote independent living after SCI. Questions explored intrinsic factors such as resilience and emotional coping as well extrinsic factors such as family support and accessibility challenges that impacted their SCI survivorship journey. Two independent anonymous reviewers conducted thematic analysis to identify these factors. : Twenty-eight members of the SCI peer mentorship program participated. Four themes affecting survivorship were identified: , , , and . Nearly all participants focused their responses on and as reasons for their interest in serving as peer mentors. : This study highlights a need for peer community integration following SCI and underscores the importance of using a community-driven participatory model to inform and guide research. Peer mentorship programs can link SCI survivors to mentors and facilitate other sources of social fulfillment and thus can have a profound impact on individuals' survivorship post-SCI. This study identified a , , , and as factors that most impact the SCI survivorship journey. This community leader's work underscores the importance of cognitive framing and social networks in post-injury rehabilitation in this population. Future directions include analyzing the longitudinal effects of peer mentorship participation on life satisfaction and community building in individuals living with SCI.