Community Peer Support Among Individuals Living with Spinal Cord Injury

Previous research has demonstrated that the relation between peer support and well-being is unclear among individuals living with SCI. The present study expands on these findings by exploring the conditions under which peer support is more strongly associated with better adjustment. Participants were 135 individuals living with SCI recruited through social media and major SCI organizations globally who completed an online self-report questionnaire. Although peer support, as measured by the SCI-PSI, was not associated with better adjustment, a measure of perceived support (i.e., the level of satisfaction with the peer support one receives) was associated with all indicators of adjustment. Individuals who were more satisfied with the peer support they received exhibited fewer depressive symptoms, had higher subjective well-being, experienced less loneliness, and exhibited better community reintegration. Longitudinal research is needed to better understand the adjustment trajectory of persons with SCI who are recipients of peer support.