TY - JOUR
T1 - Psychosocial Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women with Spinal Cord Injury
AU - Taylor, Heather B.
AU - Hughes, Rosemary B.
AU - Gonzalez, Diana
AU - Bhattarai, Muna
AU - Robinson-Whelen, Susan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/7/18
Y1 - 2023/7/18
N2 - This study represents the first known research addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States. Women in this population face unique barriers that put them at elevated risk for compromised quality of life, risk that was magnified by physical and social restrictions imposed during the pandemic. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of women with SCI and the effect of the pandemic on their lives. The predominantly White and relatively well-educated sample of 105 women with traumatic SCI was diverse in age, injury characteristics, and geographic representation. Recruited across the USA, participants in an online psychological health intervention trial were asked to respond to the item, “Please tell us how COVID-19 has affected you and your life”, administered May–October, 2020. An overall sentiment rating of impact was coded as well as the impact of COVID-19 on eight individual themes: Physical Health, Mental Health, Social Health, Activities of Daily Living, Exercise, Work, Activities Outside the Home, and Activities at Home. Sentiment responses were rated as positive, negative, a mixture of positive and negative impacts, or neutral impact. Participants described the overall impact of COVID-19 as negative (54%), positive (10%), mixed (21%) or neutral (15%). Sentiment ratings to individual themes were also described. Our findings highlight the importance of providing access to disability-sensitive and affordable support, resources, and interventions for women with SCI, especially during a public health crisis.
AB - This study represents the first known research addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women with spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States. Women in this population face unique barriers that put them at elevated risk for compromised quality of life, risk that was magnified by physical and social restrictions imposed during the pandemic. This qualitative study examined the perceptions of women with SCI and the effect of the pandemic on their lives. The predominantly White and relatively well-educated sample of 105 women with traumatic SCI was diverse in age, injury characteristics, and geographic representation. Recruited across the USA, participants in an online psychological health intervention trial were asked to respond to the item, “Please tell us how COVID-19 has affected you and your life”, administered May–October, 2020. An overall sentiment rating of impact was coded as well as the impact of COVID-19 on eight individual themes: Physical Health, Mental Health, Social Health, Activities of Daily Living, Exercise, Work, Activities Outside the Home, and Activities at Home. Sentiment responses were rated as positive, negative, a mixture of positive and negative impacts, or neutral impact. Participants described the overall impact of COVID-19 as negative (54%), positive (10%), mixed (21%) or neutral (15%). Sentiment ratings to individual themes were also described. Our findings highlight the importance of providing access to disability-sensitive and affordable support, resources, and interventions for women with SCI, especially during a public health crisis.
KW - COVID-19
KW - impacts
KW - mental health
KW - pandemic
KW - spinal cord injury
KW - women
KW - Pandemics
KW - Humans
KW - Spinal Cord Injuries/epidemiology
KW - Activities of Daily Living
KW - United States/epidemiology
KW - COVID-19/epidemiology
KW - Quality of Life
KW - Female
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165957900&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph20146387
DO - 10.3390/ijerph20146387
M3 - Article
C2 - 37510619
AN - SCOPUS:85165957900
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 20
JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
IS - 14
M1 - 6387
ER -