Impact of Spinal Cord Injury in Affective Relationship: A Qualitative Analysis of the Subjects' Perception

Abstract

This article presents and discusses the results obtained from a convenience sample, using the snowball technique, of 35
Portuguese spinal cord injured persons, of any level, both genders and age between 18 and 55. Individual responses to 1 open
question: “What is the impact of the injury in your affective relationship? Through the collection of individual data we have
elaborated significant categories, thus constituting the group’s discourse: Changes that require the reformulation of the
affective relationship; Instability installed in the relationship and Comparing pre-injury. The main results emerged from the
Grounded Analysis methodology and allowed the access to relevant issues, such as weakening the self-confidence, partner’s
decreased sexual interest, instability, and fear of abandonment. These concerns expressed the influence that the injury had on
the construction of the subjects’ perception of their affective relationship.