The influence of acceptance on the psychosocial adjustment process following a spinal cord injury: A mixed-methods study

Project title

The influence of acceptance on the psychosocial adjustment process following a spinal cord injury: A mixed-methods study

Project manager

Anders Aaby
aaaby@health.sdu.dk

Project description

Goal:
The goal of this PhD project is to investigate the influence of acceptance on the psychosocial adjustment process following a spinal cord injury (SCI).

Background:
A SCI is a severe and chronic condition often accompanied by paralysis, functional disability, chronic pain, and numerous secondary complications. Individuals living with a SCI are often faced with a myriad of challenges in daily life and in social relationships. Oftentimes, this leads to reduced quality of life, higher levels of depression and anxiety, and a lack of social engagement. There is, however, large variability form person to person, and to what extent one can find an acceptance of their SCI has been coupled with a more favorable adjustment process. However, there is still numerous unexplored questions which inhibits us from getting a more nuanced understanding of the psychological profile after a SCI, including the influence of acceptance on the psychosocial adjustment process.

Methods:
The project is primarily quantitatively based, but subparts are planned as mixed-methods wherein quantitative and qualitative methods are used in conjunction. The purpose hereof is to ensure the inclusion of the patient’s perspective.

Fokus:
The current PhD project focus on acceptance as a coping strategy and aims to explore the psychological profile after a SCI. Additionally, it focuses on investigating the practicality and successfulness of an acceptance-based approach to improve psychosocial adjustment following SCI.

Perspectives:
This project will hopefully inform both clinical assessment and treatment of the psychological consequences following a SCI.

Start date and expected end date

01.08.2018 - 31.07.2021

Main supervisor

Tonny Elmose Andersen, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, SDU

Co-supervisors

Helge Kasch, PhD, Head of Research Unit, Spinal Cord Injury Center of Western Denmark;
Sophie Lykkegaard Ravn, PhD student, Department of Psychology, SDU

The project is carried out under

InCoRE and ThRIVE Research Groups

Collaborators

Specialized Hospital for Polio and Accident Patients

Funding

Specialized Hospital for Polio and Accident Patients

Keywords

Acceptance of spinal cord injury, psychosocial adjustment, scoping review, mixed-methods, patient involvement, feasibility study