A Study on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Its Influencing Factors in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury

Abstract

Objective: To investigate on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its influencing factors in patients with spinal cord injury. Methods: From January 2019 to December 2021, 168 patients with spinal cord injury in The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Medical University were selected as the research subjects. Among the patients, 77 were female patients, with an average age of 56.39 ± 13.98, and 91 were male patients, with an average age of 58.12 ± 14.01. Clinical data were collected, and the factors influencing PTSD in patients with spinal cord injury were analyzed and observed. Results: The patients were divided into two groups according to diagnosis (98 cases with PTSD, and 70 cases with non-PTSD). Among them, there were 62 male and 36 female patients in the PTSD group, and 29 male and 41 female patients in the non-PTSD group; in the PTSD group, 62 patients were ? 50 years old, while 36 patients were < 50 years old, whereas in the non-PTSD group, 31 patients were ? 50 years old, while 39 patients were < 50 years old; 46 and 52 patients in the PTSD group and 33 and 37 patients in the non-PTSD group were single and married, respectively; in the PTSD group, the number of patients that fall under each demographic factor can be summarized as follows: education level (29 junior high school and below, 12 high school/secondary school, 57 college and above), religious belief (69 none, 29 yes), personality (31 introverted, 24 ambiverted, 43 extroverted), complications (52 yes, 46 no), type of injury (34 complete, 64 incomplete), post-traumatic coma (25 yes, 73 no), degree of pain (51 mild, 14 moderate, 33 severe), resilience (36 low, 62 high), and social support (12 low, 39 moderate, 47 high); in the non-PTSD group, the number of patients that fall under each demographic factor can be summarized as follows: education level (7 junior high school and below, 37 high school/secondary school, 26 college and above), religious beliefs (53 none, 17 yes), personality (18 introverted, 47 ambiverted, 5 extroverted), complications (32 yes, 38 no), type of injury (45 complete, 25 incomplete), post-traumatic coma (49 yes, 21 no), degree of pain (31 mild, 38 moderate, 1 severe), resilience (55 low, 13 high), and social support (51 low, 13 moderate, 6 high); there was statistical difference between the two groups in terms of gender, age, education level, personality, injury type, post-traumatic coma, degree of pain, resilience, and social support (p < 0.05). Conclusion: PTSD in patients with spinal cord injury is positively correlated with gender, education level, degree of pain, psychological resilience, and social support. Clinically, more emphasis should be on its influencing factors, and early intervention should be reinforced to reduce the risk of PTSD.