Model System:

TBI

Reference Type:

Journal

Accession No.:

J73828

Journal:


Disability and Rehabilitation

Year, Volume, Issue, Page(s):

, , ,

Publication Website:

Abstract:

Study examined the associations among spiritual well-being, demographic characteristics, quality of life (QOL) and depressive symptoms following spinal cord injury (SCI). It was hypothesized that QOL and depressed mood would both be explained by extent of spiritual well-being, and meaning-focused spirituality would have a stronger impact than faith-focused spirituality. A total of 204 individuals with SCI who were screened as part of a randomized control trial of venlafaxine XR for major depressive disorder (MDD) completed the following measures: Patient Health Questionniare-9 (PHQ-9) assessed depression, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapies-Spiritual (FACIT-Sp) assessed spiritual well-being, the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders: Positive Affect and Well-Being Short Form (PAWB) scale assessed QOL, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) assessed affect. Results indicated that approximately 26 percent had major depression. Bivariate correlations of scores on PAWB and PANAS and FACIT-Sp showed that all four scales had strong associations with those on PAWB. As hypothesized, both the Meaning and Peace (M&P) and Faith scales of the FACIT-Sp were significant predictors of QOL, though only the M&P scale was an independently significant predictor of likely MDD. The findings suggest that spirituality, as measured by the FACIT-Sp, is strongly associated with QOL and likelihood of MDD. Assessment of spirituality should be included along with more traditional psychological measurements to better inform treatment.

Author(s):


Wilson, Catherine S., Forchheimer, Martin, Heinemann, Allen W., Warren, Anne M., McCullumsmith, Cheryl

Participating Centers: