The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health environmental factors as facilitators or barriers used in describing personal and social networks: a pilot study of adults with cerebral palsy.

Using the environmental factors of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the aim of the study was to describe the social networks involved in the everyday lives of adults with cerebral palsy (CP). A further aim was to use the ICF generic scale to describe how far these adults experienced the contacts within these networks as facilitators or barriers. Sixteen adults with CP, including nine women, with a mean age of 32 years were interviewed. The interviews were performed using a guide based on the component environmental factors of the ICF. The participants described (ICF codes e310-e360) 85 contacts in the domain of 'support and relationships' as substantial facilitators (md=3.5), and 45 as both moderate-to-substantial facilitators and barriers (md=2.5). Four contacts were considered as barriers. The participants described (ICF codes e410-e455) 88 contacts in the domain of 'attitudes' as substantial facilitators (md=3) and 36 contacts as both moderate barriers and facilitators (md=2). Another four contacts were considered as moderate-to-severe barriers (md=2.5). Within the domain 'services, systems and policies' (e535-e590), the participants described 123 facilitators, the majority considered as substantial, 37 considered as both moderate facilitators and barriers and one considered as a complete barrier. The result of this pilot study contributes new information concerning the contact networks of adults with CP. It indicates new possibilities for using the ICF environmental factors and the 1-4 scale of facilitators and barriers in clinical work. The participants felt the majority of the contacts in their networks to be supportive, whereas some were felt to be both facilitators and barriers.