Description
Book SynopsisFor individuals who have suffered a spinal cord injury, it is a struggle to know how to assess and cope with such a life-changing event. The coping strategies that a person employs can have an enormous impact on their mental well-being and long-term health. Approach focused coping, in which the individual accepts and seeks to understand their condition, results in a sense of mastery, self-efficacy, and post traumatic growth. Conversely, avoidance focused coping can lead to anxiety, depression, self neglect, and substance abuse problems. Approximately 50% will meet the diagnostic criteria for depression at 6 months post injury. Research shows that those with depression will have a poorer outcome and shorter life-span. Coping effectiveness training (CET) aims to improve skills for assessing stress, teaching a range of coping skills that can be used to tackle stress, and provide an opportunity for interaction with others who have similar experiences of spinal cord injury. CET includes