Psychosocial Interventions during Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

Dear Colleagues,

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a neurological disorder that leads to the partial or complete loss of motor, sensory, and/or autonomic functions below the level of the injury. It is estimated that 20.6 million individuals are affected by this condition and that 6.2 million years are living with this disability worldwide. Currently, there is no curative treatment for SCI. Survivors often endure immediate and permanent neurological loss, as well as severe chronic disabilities. They are vulnerable to experiencing various physical and psychosocial complications during their long recovery process. Most SCI survivors experience depression and anxiety, caused by their inability to effectively cope with their disability, loneliness, low self-efficacy, unhealthy behaviors, difficulties in managing social relationships, social isolation, and a lack of support. Psychosocial interventions play a pivotal role in addressing individuals’ psychosocial needs and mental health problems, as well as their overall well-being. Psychosocial interventions, which adopt single or combined psychosocial approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness practice, skill training, psycho-education, supportive intervention, or counseling, are increasingly receiving recognition due to their ability to improve the mental health and overall well-being of individuals with SCI during their long-term rehabilitation.

We are pleased to invite you to provide health professionals and researchers with evidence-based recommendations regarding the psychosocial interventions that may be employed during SCI rehabilitation, including review articles that describe the current state and future of the psychosocial interventions utilized during SCI rehabilitation.

In this Special Issue, both original research articles and reviews are welcome. High-quality randomized controlled trials are of particular interest. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Clinical trials examining the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions during SCI rehabilitation;
• The development of innovative and comprehensive psychosocial interventions during SCI rehabilitation;
• Implementation evaluations of psychosocial interventions during SCI rehabilitation;
• Studies exploring the underlying mechanisms of modifiable psychosocial factors in improving the rehabilitation and health outcomes of SCI survivors;
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of existing psychosocial interventions during SCI rehabilitation.

Dr. Yan Li
Guest Editor

Dr. Mengqi Li
Guest Editor Assistant

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• spinal cord injury
• rehabilitation
• psychosocial
• intervention
• mental health
• social health
• randomized controlled trial