Patients,partners,and practitioners: Interactions and meaning-making following Spinal Cord Injury.
详细信息
文摘
Sustaining a Spinal Cord Injury at any point in time is life altering -- physically, emotionally, and financially -- for all persons affected by SCI, but it can place unique challenges on married couples. Both partners involved in the injury face uncertainty about the future and the concern about whether a relationship will "survive" might be equally strong for both partners Kreuter, 2000). The presence of SCI might magnify or modify existing problems in a relationship, create a burden for one partner, or impede life satisfaction for both partners Chan, 2000). Sociologists are just starting to examine relationship dynamics in light of illness and trauma, especially in relation to couple in their mid-adult years. Additionally, not many researchers have paid attention to how social, institutional, and familial support can affect couple adjustment to SCI. This study examines the transition to injury for 18 couples ages 21-55). Interviews were conducted individually at three time points following injury. This resulted in a total of 96 individual interviews and more than 200 hours of observation. Using the life course perspective and cognitive sociology as frameworks and grounded theory analysis, I found the health care institution influences how couples "do" care. This study contributes to our understanding of how the rehabilitation institution controls the ways in which couples interact during this stressful time in their relationship. Findings from this study indicate that the rehabilitation communitys focus, which is primarily on the injured partner, results in isolation for the non-injured partner. This has implications for the non-injured partners psychological and emotional recovery. This is rarely adequately addressed in this setting. While spousal caregivers health is indirectly related to the injured partners recovery, it is nonetheless crucial to the physical and emotional health and well-being of the partner with SCI. INDEX WORDS: Disability, Marital relationships, Family, Traumatic injury, Rehabilitation, Medical institutions