The role of attachment in adherence to rehab programmes in SCI
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The role of attachment in adherence to rehabilitation programmes in people with traumatic spinal cord injury
IRAS ID
184938
Contact name
Ranjeeta Khalsa
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Oxford Health Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is recognised as one the most life transforming injuries an individual can acquire. SCI is defined as trauma or damage to the spinal cord, part of the central nervous system (CNS) which acts as a connection between the brain and body. This can lead to loss or impairment of physical sensation in parts of the body, and in extreme cases can cause paralysis of the body.
Due to the magnitude of change resulting from SCI, people who sustain a spinal cord injury often require specialised rehabilitation. The initial management of a patient with a suspected spinal cord injury can have major implications for the patient's long-term care provision. Behavioural disengagement during rehabilitation has been found to have a long term detrimental impact, highlighting the importance of addressing and understanding factors which affect adherence to rehabilitation programmes. Even when taking into account demographic factors and clinical variables relating to injury when planning rehabilitation, there is still a high degree of variability in functional outcomes in patients with similar injury characteristics.
Despite the growing body of literature on understanding psychosocial factors influencing rehabilitation outcomes in individuals with SCI, there has yet to be any investigation into links between attachment and adherence in spinal cord injury rehabilitation. Attachment, in the context of the current study, is defined as the relationship between patients and rehabilitation staff. The aim of this study is to explore individual’s experiences of adhering, or not, to their individualised rehabilitation programmes. The study also aims to provide a better understanding of patients’ experiences of interacting with rehabilitation staff during the rehabilitation process and exploring whether this relationship affects adherence.Individuals with spinal cord injury attending rehabilitation will be interviewed for around 60 minutes about their experiences of rehabilitation. Interviews will take place at the National Spinal Injuries Centre.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/2049
Date of REC Opinion
14 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion