Changes in life goals of people with neurological disabilities.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between changes in life goals and progression of disabilities among subjects with neurological disorders over a period of four years.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: A centre for continuing disability management in the UK.

Subjects: Patients with static or progressive neurological disabilities.

Interventions: Review of rehabilitation team notes.

Main Outcome Measures: Barthel ADL Index and Rivermead Life Goals Questionnaire from four consecutive annual assessments from 1997 to 2000.

Results: Thirty-two subjects had progressive disabilities and 24 had static disabilities. In subjects with static disabilities there was no significant change in grades of any of the life goals over a period of four years. Among subjects with progressive disabilities, significant reductions were noted in importance given to partner (p = 0.034), work (p = 0.008) and leisure (p = 0.028) over four years. While there was no significant change in number of life goals considered as extremely important in subjects with static disabilities, there was a significant reduction in number of goals considered as extremely important in subjects with progressive disabilities (p = 0.022)

Conclusion: People with progressive disabilities tend to downgrade the significance attached to goals related to partner, work and leisure. They also reduce number of goals graded as extremely important. This change is not seen in people with static disability.