| A comprehensive, accessible, and user-friendly guide is needed by mental health clinicians who may have limited education and training in the area of spinal cord injury (SCI) but who nonetheless provide clinical services to persons with this disability. The purpose of the present work is to enhance the knowledge and effectiveness of clinicians performing assessments and interventions with SCI populations by providing a comprehensive synthesis and analysis of the SCI literature. This primer begins with a review of terms related to disability and SCI. Basic information is discussed regarding the incidence and prevalence of SCI, common etiologies, and financial costs. The historical context and evolution of the SCI literature is surveyed. Influential myths and preconceptions, demographic variables, rehabilitation outcome, recent advances, and clinical issues are reviewed. The primer concludes with a discussion of the implications of the trends, contradictions, omissions, and ambiguities in SCI publications for clinical work with this population. |
