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

This study explores the experiences of people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) who volunteer as peer mentors. It aims to understand what helps them cope and thrive after their injury. Researchers conducted interviews with 28 peer mentors and analyzed their responses to identify key themes related to their survivorship journey. The study found that factors like a sense of achievement, personal growth, support from others, and overcoming challenges all play a significant role in the lives of SCI survivors.

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  Four key themes emerged from the interviews: Sense of Achievement, Post-Injury Growth, Giving and Receiving Support, and Post-Injury Challenges.
• 2
  Participants often focused on post-injury growth and giving/receiving support as primary motivations for serving as peer mentors.
• 3
  The study underscores the importance of community integration and using community-driven research models to understand and support SCI survivors.