Meaning-making appraisals relevant to adjustment for veterans with spinal cord injury. Psychol Serv 2013 May;10(2):186-193
Date
12/19/2012Pubmed ID
23244029DOI
10.1037/a0030963Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84881304194 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 9 CitationsAbstract
The purpose of the present study was to conduct a mixed-methods investigation of meaning-making appraisals generated from spinal cord injury survivors' narratives of their injury experience. The sample consisted of 79 participants from an urban midwestern Veterans Affairs facility. The study design was cross-sectional and incorporated semistructured, face-to-face interviews, taking approximately 1 hr to complete. Measures of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, psychological well-being, and purpose in life were completed as part of the interview. A data analytic approach based on grounded theory that allowed qualitative themes to be transformed to quantitative data was employed. Seven salient meaning-making themes were identified. Significant relationships were identified between certain meaning-making themes (e.g., identity integration positively related to positive growth), and certain themes were also significantly related to postinjury psychological health and distress separately (e.g., perceived burden on others was significantly related to greater depression scores). Findings are discussed within the context of clinical interventions that foster positive posttrauma outcomes.
Author List
deRoon-Cassini TA, de St Aubin E, Valvano AK, Hastings J, Brasel KJAuthor
Terri A. deRoon Cassini PhD Center Director, Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Adaptation, PsychologicalAged
Cross-Sectional Studies
Depressive Disorder
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Midwestern United States
Qualitative Research
Self Concept
Spinal Cord Injuries
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Survivors
Veterans