Nível de estresse e fatores associados em adultos com lesão raquimedular

Abstract

Introduction: Spinal cord injury is a condition that alters the pace of life from themoment of diagnosis, where the individual and their close ones begin to experience a phase of new structural and emotional planning to mitigate the reality they will face. These changes make it noticeable that mood alters, leading to a higher level of certain negative feelings, notably stress, which is highlighted in this study. Objective: To identify the level of stress and associated factors in adults with spinal cord injury. Method: A cross-sectional and analytical study with a quantitative approach was conducted with a sample of 77 participants registered at the Specialized Rehabilitation Center in the municipality of Campina Grande, Paraíba. A sociodemographic form was applied, including clinical variables and stress associated factors, as well as the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10). Data analysis was performed using STATA 13 software, the Student's T-test for two variables, ANOVA for more than two variables, as well as Fisher's exact test and Pearson's Chi-square test. Results: 48.1% of the sample exhibited high levels of stress. It was found that 81.8% were men, 57.1% were over 38 years old, 75.3% were without a partner, 51.9% had low education levels, 94% earned up to two minimum wages, 49.3% had 1 to 3 children, 55.8% were financial providers, and 59.7% were Catholics. There was an association with the Perceived Stress Scale in the variables of not having a partner (p=0.004), low education (p=0.008), and family income up to two minimum wages (p=0.004). Among the clinical variables' frequencies and the type of injury, associations were observed between traumatic injury and cervical and thoracic injury types (p=0.003) and levels T2 to L1 (p=0.018). Conclusion: Factors such as not having a job (p=0.015), dependency on someone (p=0.012), social cycle change (p=0.008), not having friends (p=0.014), difficulties in performing daily activities (p=0.000), unacceptance of the current condition (p=0.044), and having been abandoned by a partner (p=0.028) are associated with high stress levels. This generally signals the need for professionals and family members to be attentive to perceive changes and intervene effectively to mitigate more severe conditions.