An evaluation of one method of enhancing the perceived control of spinal cord injured patients in a rehabilitation hospital

Abstract

A longitudinal quasi-experimental design was used to assess the efficacy of a psychoeducational group intervention to enhance the perceived control of spinal cord injured patients during their initial rehabilitation. The treatment and contrast groups consisted of thirty subjects each. It was hypothesized that the group intervention would enhance the subjects level of perceived control. It was further hypothesized that enhanced perceived control would result in increased compliance with a prescribed medical regimen and subsequently an improved rehabilitation outcome. The results of the study demonstrate that the group intervention was useful in increasing perceived control and these subjects were also shown to have greater improvement in rehabilitation outcome as measured by level of independence in activities of daily living. No significant relationship was found between level of perceived control and reported compliance with the medical regimen. Suggestions for further research included the construction of more valid and reliable instrumentation and replication of this study with other populations.