SCI Thrive: Results From A Peer-Led Online Self-Management Program

Research Objectives: To test the effectiveness of a peer-led self-management program for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: Randomized wait-list control

Setting: Community, virtual

Participants: 184 individuals with SCI from 24 states and 3 countries who responded to listserv posts about the study and able to engage in the online format.

Interventions: 6-week peer-led online self-management program, with 4 video conference sessions, to address individual goals.

Main Outcome Measures: Perceived Quality of Life, self-efficacy, Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART)

Results: Participants were 51 years old on average (SD=14.9), with 58% male, mean of 15.5 (SD=14.0) years injured, with 59% cervical injuries and 64% incomplete injuries. The treatment group had significantly higher scores on CHART occupational subscale (P=.022), but no other differences were found at the end of 6 weeks. Analysis of all participants who completed SCI Thrive showed significant increase in self-efficacy between baseline (6.32) and 6 weeks (6.81; p<.001) which was maintained at 3 months post treatment (6.83; p=.001). Those who were more engaged in SCI Thrive (posted online, completed homework, attended video conferences) reported higher quality of life (p=.001), self-efficacy (p=.007), and increased mobility on the CHART (p=.026).

Conclusions: SCI Thrive is a highly accessible program for individuals with SCI and shows promise for improving self-efficacy. Strategies to increase engagement should be added to maximize benefits. Measurement tools may have been impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is needed to determine whether SCI Thrive is more effective when all participants share a focus, such as on physical activity or community participation.

Author(s) Disclosures: Authors have nothing to disclose.