Assessment of the role of support groups with spinal cord injury (sci) patients in riyadh, saudi arabia

Introduction: Saudi Arabia has the highest car accidents rates, which is known to result in traumas including Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). SCI is a damage to any part of the spinal cord that results in weakness or paralysis below the level of injury. Studies show that SCI has various negative impacts on the patients’ lives, including psychological, social, and financial hardships. Support groups have proven their efficacy in improving aspects of the patients' lives who suffer from lifelong conditions. However, no previous research was done to assess the support groups in Saudi Arabia and how it impacts the lives of people with SCIs.
Objectives: The overall objective of this study was to examine the role of support groups with SCI patients regarding the psychological, social, and financial aspects of their lives. This study also aimed to assess the support provided for those who are not involved in a support group and the general perceptions about support groups.
Methods and materials: A qualitative cross-sectional study design where data were collected at one point in time. A sum of 285 SCI patients were interviewed at three different hospitals at King Fahd National Guard Hospital (NGHA), Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City, King Fahad Medical City (KFMC) and one association The Adults Motor Disabilities Association [Harakia] in Riyadh. Participants from the three hospitals were interviewed at the hospitals’ settings and participants from the association were interviewed by telephone call. The data was collected using a suitably structured schedule that was developed based on reviewed existing literature, and piloted with 10 patients.
Results: 163 of participants in this study were engaged in a support group (122 paraplegic, 41 quadriplegic). The form of support provided by support groups was categorized into psychological (60.7%), financial (52.1%), and social (70.6%). Ninety-two out of the 163 participants said the support groups were motivational, and 25 participants did not find the support groups to be motivational. 52% reported that the support obtained from the support group was non-continuous. 93.3% of the participants agreed that there is a need for support groups for SCI patients.
Conclusion: The results of this studies showed the need for psychosocial, social, and financial supports. It was revealed that support groups exist in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh among the SCI community. However, throughout the responses, it was found that these groups need to be improved and distributed on a wider range in the country so the patients to benefit from them. The people with SCI reported high rates of willingness to participate in such groups, and high tendencies to be support providers for newly injured patients which can facilitate establishing future support groups for people with SCI.