Young Adults With Recent Spinal Cord Injuries; Transition From Rehabilitation Hospital to Community Living
Ross, Jo-Ellen
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/72458
Description
Title
Young Adults With Recent Spinal Cord Injuries; Transition From Rehabilitation Hospital to Community Living
Author(s)
Ross, Jo-Ellen
Issue Date
1993
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Kelly, John R.
Department of Study
Leisure Studies
Discipline
Leisure Studies
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Health Sciences, Rehabilitation and Therapy
Health Sciences, Recreation
Recreation
Abstract
The majority of people today who sustain a spinal cord injury (SCI) survive and resume living in the community. Little, however, is known about the transition. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore the relationships among leisure involvement, social networks, community integration, and life satisfaction for young adults with recent SCIs in transition from rehabilitation hospital to community living.
A qualitative research design was employed so as to learn more about the world of persons with recent SCIs who are in transition from rehabilitation hospital to community living. Specifically, this study examined the above mentioned variables through individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews with ten young adults, ages 20-30, who were 14-28 weeks post-discharge from a rehabilitation hospital as an inpatient. Subjects had lived with their SCIs 22-51 weeks by interview time.
The results of this study indicated that leisure involvement, social networks, community integration, and life satisfaction are interrelated in the transition process. Leisure involvement provides the context for developing and maintaining social relationships and a means for getting on with one's life. It also provides the context for community integration--social and physical, while social networks provide the resources. Leisure involvement, social networks, and community integration provide opportunities for having meaning in life, adjusting to one's situation, and developing a positive self-concept. Continuity amidst change is very important. Based on subjects' life satisfaction, three types emerged from the data which are presented in the text.
The results of this study also indicated that the transition is a process and that individuals proceed through the process at different rates and with different levels of life satisfaction. The process and factors which facilitate it and hinder it are discussed in the study. At the end of the study, direction for future research and for practice (i.e., for rehabilitation professionals in general and therapeutic recreation specialists in particular) is provided.
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