Transitioning to Adulthood: Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury Care and Beyond.

The transition to adulthood is a complex and dynamic process for youth with spinal cord injury (SCI). A key goal of SCI rehabilitation is to develop the skillsets necessary to successfully transition to adulthood, lead a meaningful life, engage in one's community, and maintain a good quality of life. This article provides an overview of transition outcomes and interventions within a biopsychosocial framework, with regard to physiologic functioning, participation in education and employment, emotional and social well-being, and the health care system.

Sexual Activity in Adults with Pediatric-Onset Spinal Cord Injury: Injury, Demographic, and Lifestyle Factors.

Background: Sexual development is a complex process of understanding oneself as a sexual being. Youth with spinal cord injury (SCI) navigate the typical phases of sexual development along with the physical and psychological sequelae of an SCI. As youth with SCI progress from adolescence to emerging adulthood, sexual activity-physical intimacy and sexual intercourse-is an important milestone.

Rural-urban disparities in healthcare factors and long-term health outcomes in individuals with pediatric-onset spinal cord injury.

Objective: Adults with pediatric-onset spinal cord injury (SCI) require long-term care and demonstrate elevated risk of secondary health conditions and psychosocial challenges. Medical providers are typically found in more populous and wealthy areas, resulting in a relative lack of providers in rural areas, a discrepancy even more pronounced among specialty providers. As a result, those who reside in rural regions potentially have unmet medical needs, representing a significant public health concern.

Use of Appraisals of DisAbility Primary and Secondary Scale-Short Form (ADAPSS-sf) in individuals with pediatric-onset spinal cord injury.

Objectives: To investigate the psychometric properties and utility of the Appraisals of DisAbility Primary and Secondary Scale-Short Form (ADAPSS-sf), a measure of cognitive appraisals, among adults with pediatric-onset SCI. To examine the relation of the ADAPSS-sf to demographics, injury characteristics, and secondary health and psychosocial outcomes.

Study Design: A structured telephone interview was conducted to obtain measures of ADAPSS-sf, pain, sleep, secondary health complications, and psychosocial functioning.

Understanding transition for youth with spinal cord injury: Youth and caregiver perceptions.

The purpose of this study is to understand facilitators of and barriers to achieving positive transition results among youth with spinal cord injury (SCI), and to identify areas for intervention to improve transition outcomes. This study utilized qualitative methods and analysis was completed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Participants: Participants included adolescents ( = 9, range = 13-18 years old), young adults ( = 14, range = 22-30 years old) with an SCI, and their respective caregivers ( = 17).