Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Examining the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and social participation among Veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders.

Etingen B, Locatelli SM, Miskevics S, LaVela SL. Examining the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and social participation among Veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders. Disability and rehabilitation. 2018 Nov 1; 40(22):2637-2643.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to examine differences in social participation among Veterans with spinal cord injuries/disorders with and without post-traumatic stress disorder, and determine if lower social participation was independently associated with having post-traumatic stress disorder. METHODS: A cross-sectional mailed national survey was sent to a national sample of Veterans with spinal cord injuries/disorders who received prior-year Veterans Affairs healthcare. Surveys provided data on: demographics, health conditions, injury characteristics, and social participation. Analyses included bivariate comparisons, and multivariate logistic regression to determine if lower social participation was independently associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. RESULTS: Veterans with (vs. without) post-traumatic stress disorder (n? = 896) reported lower social participation (40.2 vs. 43.9, p? < 0.0001). Multivariate analyses showed that longer duration of injury (OR? = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97-1.00, p? = 0.04) and white race (OR? = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.38-1.01, p? = 0.05) were associated with lower odds of post-traumatic stress disorder, while a greater number of health conditions (OR? = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.25-1.64, p? < 0.0001) was associated with greater odds. When controlling for covariates, lower social participation was independently associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (OR? = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90-0.98, p? = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate post-traumatic stress disorder is associated with lower social participation in Veterans with spinal cord injuries/disorders, independent of other factors that may impact participation. Efforts to screen for and treat post-traumatic stress disorder among persons with spinal cord injuries/disorders, regardless of injury-specific factors, are needed to improve participation. Implications for Rehabilitation Individuals with spinal cord injuries/disorders often have post-traumatic stress disorder; in Veterans with spinal cord injuries/disorders this may be compounded by trauma incurred through military experiences. Social participation, an important aspect of rehabilitation and community integration following spinal cord injury or disorder, may be hindered by symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Our data show that post-traumatic stress disorder is associated with lower social participation in Veterans with spinal cord injuries/disorders, independent of other factors that may impact participation. These results indicate that efforts to screen for and treat post-traumatic stress disorder among persons with spinal cord injuries/disorders, regardless of injury-specific factors, are needed to improve participation in this patient population.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.