Stress and Pain in Rehabilitation Following SCI
A Consumer Digest of Model System Research:
What is the study about?
The study looked at the role resilience (a person’s ability to adjust in a positive way) has on the relationship between perceived stress and the impact of pain intensity on general activities, mood, mobility, social relationships, sleep, and other areas for people with spinal cord injury (SCI) during inpatient rehabilitation.
What is the goal of the study?
The goal was to find out if there is a need for rehabilitation professionals to target methods to boost inpatient resilience to reduce the negative outcomes that pain can have on people with SCI during rehabilitation.
Who participated in the study?
57 participants completed surveys on perceived stress, resilience, pain intensity, and pain interference.
How was the study conducted?
Participants completed the surveys during in-person interviews during their inpatient rehabilitation stay at the UAB SCI Model System.
What did the study find?
The study found that higher stress during rehabilitation is connected to worse interference from pain in important areas of living. But patients with higher resilience did not experience this stress and pain relationship, among other negative outcomes that pain can have on people after SCI.
How can people use the results?
The study suggests targeting ways to boost patient resilience is a way rehabilitation professionals can help reduce the negative outcomes that pain can have on people with SCI during inpatient rehabilitation.
Reference
Richardson EJ, McKinley EC, Richards JS. Perceived stress and pain interference in acute rehabilitation following spinal cord injury: Resilience as a moderator. Rehabilitation Psychology. 2024 May;69(2):85-93.
Funding
This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and in part by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research and published in Rehabilitation Psychology.
Disclaimer
The contents of this quick review were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90DPKT0009). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this quick review do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.