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Couple’s Experiences of Relationship Maintenance and Intimacy in Acute Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

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Abstract

Sustaining a spinal cord injury (SCI) has a profound impact upon the individual with the injury, their family, and particularly their partner. This qualitative study explored the couple’s experience, with a focus on their perceptions of maintaining relationship intimacy during this period. Five heterosexual couples participated in semi-structured dyadic interviews, with each couple it was the male who had sustained a SCI. A thematic analysis was conducted on the interview data according to the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. ‘We’, the couple, were an entity and engaged in the rehabilitation process as a unit although each partner made individual contributions. The couple gave each other unrivalled support during rehabilitation. Intimacy was expressed, and sustained, in many ways ranging from sharing a meal together through to sexual intimacy. However, the inpatient environment and health professionals often limited or inhibited the couple’s ability to engage intimately posing difficulties for their usual relationship maintenance practices; a lack of physical privacy and autonomy were major contributors. When health professionals behaved or communicated in ways that side-lined one partner, negative feelings about the health professional or rehabilitation process held by one partner became the shared feeling of the couple. Health professionals are encouraged to engage in client-centered care that includes partners as an integral component of the client’s rehabilitation. Doing so would help eliminate the loss of relationship autonomy that couples experience.

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Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by Health Research Council of New Zealand (Grant No. HRC 10/043).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rehabilitation Teaching and Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Wellington, PO Box 7343, Wellington, 6242, New Zealand

    Claire Freeman & E. Jean C. Hay-Smith

  2. Allan Bean Centre Temporary Location, Burwood Hospital (Portacoms), New Zealand Spinal Trust, Entrance 4 – 255 Mairehau Rd, Burwood, Christchurch, 8083, New Zealand

    Bernadette Cassidy

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  1. Claire Freeman
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  2. Bernadette Cassidy
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  3. E. Jean C. Hay-Smith
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Correspondence to Claire Freeman.

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Freeman, C., Cassidy, B. & Hay-Smith, E.J.C. Couple’s Experiences of Relationship Maintenance and Intimacy in Acute Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Sex Disabil 35, 433–444 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-017-9496-6

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