Long-term psychosocial effects of spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury typically occurs in males during late adolescence or young adulthood. These individuals face the developmental challenges of adulthood with significant restrictions in mobility and position. The purposes of this study were to examine how spinal cord injured male experience these limitations and to identify how they fulfill adult developmental tasks/expectations. Interviews on this topic were conducted with a convenience sample of 5 spinal cord injured men between the ages of 30 and 45 who had been injured at least 10 years. The findings of this study indicated that the impairment of mobility and position that resulted from the spinal cord injury did have a significant impact upon the developmental tasks/expectations of adulthood. Mobility and position restrictions delayed and/or interfered with the establishment of close personal relationships and the development of a satisfying career. Information also was obtained about the process of coping with the paralysis of a spinal cord injury over time.