J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  2003 Dec;27(6):886-893.

Association between Quality of Life and Sexual Adjustment for Spinal Cord Injury Couples

• Shin YJ
• Yi SW
• Ohrr HC
• Sohn TY
• Lee BS
• Jung HS
• Huh AN

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between sexual adjustment and quality of life and to evaluate the difference of sexual adjustment between small group counselling program and simple sexual rehabilitation program for spinal cord injury couples. METHOD: Fifteen subjects who had participated in 4 weeks small group counselling and twenty subjects, who had participated in simple sexual rehabilitation education were enrolled among among spinal cord injury couples. Direct interview was conducted. Visual analogue scale, Time trade off, Hospital anxiety and depression, and Beck depression inventory were used as quality of life indexes. Sexual Interest, Activity and Satisfaction was used as a sexualadjustment measure. RESULTS: The sexual adjustment index was very significantly positively correlated with all 4 indexes of the quality of life. The couples of the small group counselling had significantly higher sexual adjustment index than the simple education group. Satisfaction for small group counselling was also higher. CONCLUSION: To improve the quality of life for spianl cord injury couples, sexual adjustment level must be improved. Systematic sexual rehabilitation program such as small group counselling may be better solution than simple sexual rehabilitation education program.

Keyword

Sexual adjustment; Quality of life; Sexual rehabilitation; Spinal cord injury

MeSH Terms

Anxiety
Depression
Education
Family Characteristics
Quality of Life*
Rehabilitation
Spinal Cord Injuries*
Spinal Cord*