ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Rehabil. Sci.
Sec. Disability, Rehabilitation, and Inclusion
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fresc.2025.1617764
How recovery influences community reintegration: Perspectives of persons with spinal cord injury and their support persons Running Head: How recovery influences community reintegration
Provisionally accepted
- 1The MetroHealth System, Cleveland, United States
- 2Case Medical Center, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- 3Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
- 4VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
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Purpose: To investigate how perceived recovery influences perspectives on successful community reintegration, from the point of view of persons with spinal cord injury (PWS) and their support persons (SP). Methods: Our mixed methods approach included qualitative interviews conducted with civilians and Veterans with SCI and their designated SP at three time points across the first year after SCI: during inpatient rehabilitation, six months, and 12 months. Participants with SCI completed measures of independence (Spinal Cord Injury Independence Measure III (SCIM-III)) and selfefficacy (Moorong Self Efficacy Scale) during inpatient rehabilitation and at 12 months post injury. Data analysis was informed by the Transformative Framework and International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). Results: Regarding perceptions of how recovery influences community reintegration, PWS reported themes related to slow recovery whereas SPs expressed concerns about psychological impacts on PWS. While some participants were equally satisfied with rate of recovery and rate of community reintegration, several deviated from that expected trajectory. Associations between satisfaction with community reintegration and independence or selfefficacy were variable. Conclusions: Successful community reintegration cannot be predicted solely on clinical measures. Inclusion of perspectives of PWS and their support systems is critical to inform successful societal participation after SCI.
Keywords: spinal cord injury, Community reintegration, Recovery, Participation, caregiver
Received: 24 Apr 2025; Accepted: 18 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Bryden, Gran, Hinze, Richmond and Anderson. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Anne M. Bryden, The MetroHealth System, Cleveland, United States
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