Perceived social support, and related factors in patients with spinal cord injury

Background and Objectives: With developing technology and techniques, great progress has been made in the rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury. However, despite these advancements, insufficient attention is given to the social support perceived by patients and related factors in their rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to determine perceived social support and related factors in patients with spinal cord injury. Method: An evaluation was conducted on patients admitted to the outpatient clinic in a university rehabilitation center in Konya , Turkey. A total of 150 subjects aged 18-65 years were included in this study, which had a prospective, controlled study design. Participants were assessed for depression, anxiety, perceived social support, quality of life, and pain. Additionally, the patient group was evaluated for disability status and activities of daily living. Results: In the patient group, perceived social support (P=0.002) and quality of life (P<0.001) were found to be statistically significantly lower, while levels of depression (P<0.001), anxiety (P=0.006), and pain (P=0.001) were found to be high. An increase in perceived social support was associated with an improvement in quality of life, particularly in terms of social relations and environment (r=0.405, P<0.001, r=0.276, P=0.016). Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was observed between quality of life and depression (r=-0,478, P<000.1) and anxiety (r=-0.319, P=0.005). Conclusion: These findings emphasize the importance of social support in patients with spinal cord injury. Healthcare professionals should recognize social support as an integral part of spinal cord injury rehabilitation.