BURDEN AND PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACT OF SPINAL CORD INJURY

ABSTRACT

Nursing patients with spinal cord injury is a challenging role both physically and emotionally. Hence, the main objective of this study is to assess the psychosocial impact of spinal cord injury on the immediate caregivers at the Neuro-ward of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Edo State. This study is a descriptive survey design and was conducted among 73 family caregivers in neuro-ward of UBTH. In this study, the most frequent needs in a group of family caregivers of individuals with spinal cord injury in UBTH, level of burden, caregivers psychosocial functioning, and the factors affecting caregivers’ care were assessed using structured questionnaires designed by the researcher. Descriptive statistics such as standard deviation and means as well as multi variate logistics and correlation statistics were used to analyse the data obtained. The study findings revealed that there is a high level of depression among caregivers at the Neuro-ward of UBTH and their stress levels also very high. Caregivers at the Neuro-ward of UBTH have an unsatisfactory social life with majority experiencing loss of appetite often and also experiencing malaria, nausea as well as other forms of illnesses as a result of caring for patient with spinal cord injury. Results of the hypotheses testing revealed that there is no significant relationship between level of burden and socio-demographically characteristics, there is also no significant relationship between psychological impact of caring for patients with spinal cord injury and sociodemograhic characteristics. Based on the study findings, the study thus recommends that periodic suitable training programs on caregiving for family caregivers of spinal cord injury should be organised by nurses and other health professionals in hospitals to educate family caregivers on their new roles of caregiving and so as to know the appropriate courses of action to take at every point in time. There should be encouraging support and offering of social support by nurses/midwives, social groups/NGOs, and family, to family caregivers of spinal cord injury patients.