Keywords
People with Disabilities
Psychological Adaptation
Social Adjustment
Spinal Cord Injuries
How to Cite
Abstract
The aim was to identify the stressors that impact family adaptation and functionality after spinal cord injury. An integrative literature review, conducted from September 2024 to August 2025, in PubMed, LILACS, Scopus, SciELO, MEDLINE, BDENF, and BVS databases, using controlled descriptors. After screening 96,786 studies, 31 articles were included for analysis. The data were synthesized based on Betty Neuman's Systems Model, which considers extrapersonal, interpersonal, and intrapersonal stressors. The study showed a predominance of cross-sectional studies with a quantitative approach. Extrapersonal stressors (such as social and financial barriers and lack of support), interpersonal stressors (caregiver burden, family conflicts, isolation), and intrapersonal stressors (anxiety, depression, loss of identity, functional limitations) were identified as influencing family adaptation and the quality of care and rehabilitation. It has been found that spinal cord injury triggers profound changes that affect identity, autonomy, and social participation, requiring coping resources that go beyond physical recovery, including reinterpreting the lived experience. The presence of extrapersonal, intrapersonal, and interpersonal stressors exerts a significant influence on parental relationships and on the family functioning of people with spinal cord injury.
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