A Boals1, Z Trost2, D Berntsen3, L Nowlin4, T Wheelis1, K R Monden5. 1. Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA. 2. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA. 3. Aarhus University, Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Aarhus, Denmark. 4. Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas, TX, USA. 5. Craig Hospital, Denver, CO, USA.
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving completion of self-report measures. OBJECTIVES: Individuals who acquire a spinal cord injury (SCI) face numerous physical and psychological challenges, with the former receiving considerable less attention during the rehabilitation process. In this article, we examined event centrality as a unique predictor of psychological outcomes in a sample of individuals receiving rehabilitation for SCI. Event centrality refers to the extent to which individuals construe a stressful experience as a core part of their identity. In samples of individuals exposed to psychological traumas (for example, sexual assault or military combat), event centrality has emerged as a consistent and powerful predictor of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs). This is the first study to examine event centrality in an SCI sample. SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation program in a large urban city in the Southwestern United States. METHODS: A sample of 55 participants in rehabilitation for a recent SCI completed measures of event centrality, PTSS, depressed mood and perceived disability. RESULTS: Event centrality was significantly related to perceived disability (r=0.48) and PTSS (r=0.31) and accounted for unique variance in these two outcomes after controlling for demographics and depressed mood. CONCLUSION: Event centrality is common among individuals with SCI and may be a unique contributor to worse psychological and functional outcomes. We hope our findings will alert health-care professionals to the importance of event centrality. SPONSORSHIP: This study was supported by a grant from the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF89).
STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving completion of self-report measures. OBJECTIVES: Individuals who acquire a spinal cord injury (SCI) face numerous physical and psychological challenges, with the former receiving considerable less attention during the rehabilitation process. In this article, we examined event centrality as a unique predictor of psychological outcomes in a sample of individuals receiving rehabilitation for SCI. Event centrality refers to the extent to which individuals construe a stressful experience as a core part of their identity. In samples of individuals exposed to psychological traumas (for example, sexual assault or military combat), event centrality has emerged as a consistent and powerful predictor of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs). This is the first study to examine event centrality in an SCI sample. SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation program in a large urban city in the Southwestern United States. METHODS: A sample of 55 participants in rehabilitation for a recent SCI completed measures of event centrality, PTSS, depressed mood and perceived disability. RESULTS: Event centrality was significantly related to perceived disability (r=0.48) and PTSS (r=0.31) and accounted for unique variance in these two outcomes after controlling for demographics and depressed mood. CONCLUSION: Event centrality is common among individuals with SCI and may be a unique contributor to worse psychological and functional outcomes. We hope our findings will alert health-care professionals to the importance of event centrality. SPONSORSHIP: This study was supported by a grant from the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF89).
Authors: Kurt Kroenke; Tara W Strine; Robert L Spitzer; Janet B W Williams; Joyce T Berry; Ali H Mokdad Journal: J Affect Disord Date: 2008-08-27 Impact factor: 4.839