How does spinal cord injury affect marital relationship? A story from bothsides of the couple

Purpose : To explore the impact of spinal cord injury (SCI) upon the family and marital relationship in Hong Kong. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted on 66 persons with SCI an d 40 spouses. Qualitative information on family and marital relationships, life satisfaction, social functioning and leisure activities was transcribe d and analysed. Results and Conclusion : It was found that the impact of the SCI was manife sted in different but interrelated aspects onto the individuals and their s pouses. However, many of the problems were due to the lack of communication between them. Rehabilitation professionals should then treat the couple as a single unit in order to facilitate mutual understanding and get rid of a ny distorted perception.