Psychological adjustment problems in people with traumatic spinal cord lesions.

A traumatic spinal cord lesion causes not only physical injury but also an emotional state of crisis. The adjustment process is characterized by various phases, such as denial, depression and aggression. Psychological treatment is therefore essential: emotional catharsis, and the opportunity for the patient to tell his life-story, can enable the patient to gain a sense of order and perspective. Results from this study showed that the level at which a lesion occurs has no effect on the adjustment process. People with a cervical lesion seem just as capable as those with a thoracic lesion of achieving renewed psychological equilibrium.