Background: Although social support is an important protective factor for individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs), individuals often encounter significant barriers to obtaining support after experiencing a SCI. It has been suggested that the Internet may serve to help individuals with disabilities overcome common barriers in obtaining support, yet research examining the efficacy of Internet-based support for individuals with SCI has been mixed.
Objective: To develop a more nuanced understanding of how individuals with SCI can or might use the Internet for support.
Design: Using an ethnographic approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with nine individuals with SCI to explore perceived needs and barriers to information-seeking and online support.
Setting: Participants were recruited from Veterans Administration medical center outpatient and inpatient units providing specialty care to individuals with SCIs and from a community SCI Center of Excellence.
Results: Individuals with SCI gain emotional, problem-focused, and reciprocal support from online sources.
Conclusions: Online resources can provide important opportunities for social support for individuals with SCI.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4066426 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/2045772313Y.0000000118 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!