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Re-Inventing Yourself after Spinal Cord Injury: A Site-Specific Randomized Clinical Trial

Spinal Cord, 2019 · DOI: 10.1038/s41393-018-0230-8 · Published: April 1, 2019

Spinal Cord InjuryMental Health

Simple Explanation

This study investigates whether a group therapy program can improve confidence in people with spinal cord injuries (SCI). The program focuses on helping people believe in their ability to handle life's challenges after SCI. Participants attended six weekly sessions of the Re-Inventing Yourself after SCI program and focused on reframing their method of looking at events and building confidence. Researchers measured self-efficacy, satisfaction with life, and anxiety/depression levels to see if the intervention group improved compared to a control group.

Study Duration
30 weeks follow-up
Participants
81 individuals with SCI
Evidence Level
Level 1, Randomized Controlled Trial

Key Findings

  • 1
    The Re-Inventing Yourself after SCI intervention showed some improvement in self-efficacy for the treatment group immediately after the intervention, compared to the control group, but it was not significant.
  • 2
    The gains in self-efficacy were not sustained at the 30-week follow-up.
  • 3
    There was no evidence of a significant treatment effect on secondary outcomes such as anxiety or depression.

Research Summary

The study evaluated the efficacy of a group CBT-based education intervention to enhance personal self-efficacy in individuals with SCI. Although the treatment group showed improvement in self-efficacy immediately after the intervention, this improvement was not statistically significant after adjustments for multiple comparisons, and it was not sustained at the 30-week follow-up. The study concludes that while the intervention may have some potential, further research is needed to determine its long-term effects and the specific components that contribute to any observed benefits.

Practical Implications

Potential for Group CBT

Group CBT interventions may hold promise for improving self-efficacy in individuals with SCI, but further research is needed to refine these interventions.

Importance of Long-Term Follow-Up

Interventions should be evaluated with long-term follow-up to assess the sustainability of any observed benefits.

Further Research Needed

Future studies should explore the specific components of the intervention (e.g., group process, intervention content) that contribute to improvements in self-efficacy.

Study Limitations

  • 1
    The study design limited our ability to test for the impact of the intervention contents versus the group process alone versus the group process plus the intervention contents.
  • 2
    Second, the follow-up time period may not have been adequate to assess sustainability of any gains appreciated in the intervention.
  • 3
    Facilitators at the study site were involved with the development of and experienced in delivering the intervention so it is unknown if the intervention and results can be replicated.

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