Psychosocial and Health Outcomes of Adults With Violently Acquired Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury.

Objective

To describe the psychosocial and medical outcomes of individuals with pediatric-onset spinal cord injury (SCI) as a result of violent injuries.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study assessing adult outcomes associated with pediatric-onset SCI. Participants completed measures assessing demographics, injury characteristics, secondary conditions, and psychosocial functioning.

Results

Participants included 483 adults (ages 19-51 years; M = 32.89, SD = 6.81) who sustained an SCI prior to age 19 (0-18 years; M = 14.25, SD = 4.40). Participants tended to have complete injuries (68%) and tetraplegia (53%) and were predominantly male (63%) and Caucasian (85%). The violent (n = 42) and nonviolent (n = 441) etiology groups tended to be similar in terms of gender. The violent etiology (VE) group, however, was significantly more likely to have paraplegia (χ2 = 7.45, p = .01), identify as an ethnic minority (χ2 = 5.40, p = .02), and have decreased odds of completing a college degree (odds ratio [OR], 0.40; 95% CI, 0.19-0.83). After controlling for significant covariates, individuals in the VE group were more likely to have moderate depression symptoms (OR, 3.73; 95% CI, 1.35-10.30) and significantly lower odds of economic independence (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.19-0.84). The VE group was also 2 times as likely as the nonviolent group to report a pressure injury (OR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.05-3.94) or activity interfering pain (OR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.15-4.74).

Conclusion

The results of this study reveal significantly greater psychosocial health concerns and more medical complications for individuals with violent SCI than those with nonviolent SCI. Children with an SCI from a violent etiology may warrant additional attention and services aimed at promoting stability and long-term resilience.