Sexual Adjustment Process of Individuals with Spinal cord Injury / 재활간호학회지

The purpose of this study is to identify and describe a process of sexual adjustment of individuals with spinal cord injury: and to describe and explore positive and negative influences on the adjustment process. This qualitative study was conducted with 10 Korean individuals with spinal cord injury who had been physically disabled for more than one year. Data were collected and analysed at a same time using grounded theory method. Major categories of this study showed a process how the individuals with spinal cord injury adjust to their individual life as sexual beings. The process included Changes of life caused by physical disability> Emotional distress> Stability of life> Recognition of self as a sexual being> Re-establishing own sense of values for sexual life> Behavioral efforts for restoration of sexual life> and individual responses to the behavioral efforts including Frustration> Resignation> Satisfaction> Dissatisfaction> and Limited satisfaction>. Initially physical aspects of sexuality seemed to be affected by spinal cord injuries. The changed physical aspects then influenced other aspects of their sexual life. Life satisfaction of each individual as a sexual being revealed as very subjective. It could be defined according to how the individual approved their sexual life no matter what and how much behavioral effort the person had done. In this study 3 types of sexual adjustment aspects were explored: 'Active adjustment' 'Passive adjustment' 'Maladjustment'. There were negative and positive factors influencing the adjustment process of individuals with spinal cord injury. Those factors might come from themselves. from families. or from social situations. Findings of this study suggested that sexual life of individuals with spinal cord injury should not be understood as a physical or behavioral matter. It was a combination of physical. psychological and social aspects of life. Therefore. appropriate rehabilitation programs for the sexual adjustment of individuals with spinal cord injury need to concern heterogeneous life values of them and obtain individualized services for each individual at a different stage of the sexual adjustment process.

Model Construction of Sexual Adjustment of Patients with Spinal Cord Injury / 간호학회지

The purpose of this study was to construct model of sexual adjustment in people with spinal cord injury and to determine factors that relate to sexual adjustment using methodological triangulation. A total of 134 persons who were registered members of spinal cord injury organization and admitted rehabilitation unit in the hospital were included in the study. Participants answered questionnaire concerning importance of life events, sexual concern, sexual adjustment. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured indepth interviews from 10 individuals with spinal cord injury who were previously included in the quantitative study. Constant compatative method was used to analyze the data. The results were as follows: 1) With respect to eleven other areas of life, sex life ranked the sixth and economic status ranked the highest in terms of importance. However social life ranked the lowest among the 11areas. 2) Among seven topics related to sexuality were methods and techniques to achieve sexual satisfaction, and helping a partner cope emotionally with limitation on sexual dysfunction was the second greastest. 3) The mean score for sexual adjustment was 19.47 which can be considered. 4) A process on how individuals with spinal cord injury adjust to their changed sexual life immerged from the qualitative data. It includs 4 stages: 'stage of loss' 'stage of endeavoring' 'stage of effort' and 'stage of adjustment'. Categories showing context for the action/interaction strategies were 'steadiness' and 'rediscovery as a sexual being'. There were three factors which may stimulate the adjustment process while the others may interrupt it. Those factors included personal matters, family matters and social matters. The individuals may follow each stage step by step but may go back to the previous step depending on the outcomes of their adjustment. 5) There were three factors which may stimulate the adjustment process while the others may interrupt it. Those factors included personal matters, family matters and social matters.

Sexual Interest and Adjustment for Spinal Cord Injury Patients / 재활간호학회지

The purposes of this study were to identify sexual interest and adjustment in patients with spinal cord injury and to determine the factors that relate to sexual adjustment. A total of 134 persons included in this study was the members of spinal cord injury organization and the impatients in rehabilitation unit between February and June 1999. Five questionnaires were answered concerning importance of life events, sexual concern, sexual adjustment, relationship with a sex partner, and depression. The collected data were analyzed by Frequency, t-test, ANOVA and pearson correlation. The results were as follows: 1) Considering the importance among 11 areas of life, economic status occupied the top, sex life held the sixth rank, and the mean rating for social life being 3.78 was the lowest of all. 2) As regard to 7 topics related to sexuality, the most attention was drawn to methods and techniques achieving sexual satisfaction, and the next interest was for helping partners cope emotionally with sexual dysfunction. 3) The mean for sexual adjustment and depression was average, and the mean for sex partner relationship was high. 4) Sexual adjustment in spinal cord injury patients correlated with economic status and sex partner relationship. While it was inversely correlated with age and depression. It was found that lower age and less depression play a positive role on sexual adjustment by SCI people. Also, higher economic status and favorable sex partner relationship increase sexual adjustment. In conclusion, a sex partner relationship, depression, economic status, and age seemed to influence on their sexual adjustment after SCI. Also, psychosocial factors would be more important for satisfying sexual life and relationship rather than physical factors.