Although men and women who have suffered traumatic spinal cord injuries (SCIs) report comparable levels of psychological well-being, recent studies have found that older female SCI survivors experience aging differently from their male counterparts.
For example, older women with SCI have higher incidences of pain, depression, and suicide than men, and are less likely to hold a job and have access to preventive healthcare. In a new study, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’s University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR) hope to shed light on these discrepancies.
Headed by UCSUR Director Richard Schulz, a Pitt professor of psychiatry, the study is designed to provide information, resources, and support to older individuals with SCI and their caregivers. UCSUR’s study is one of the first aimed at providing a structured intervention for the growing number of caregivers of older SCI survivors, a group that has received little attention in the literature addressing the psychosocial issues of caregiving.
“For the first time in history, individuals who have sustained SCIs are living nearly as long as their non-injured counterparts, and life expectancy for those with SCI continues to increase,” said Schulz. “Though SCIs more often occur in younger people, the numbers of people age 60 and older at time of injury has doubled in the last decade. Many of the health problems faced by older people become more complicated when a spinal cord injury is present, and this can increase the burden on caregivers who may also be dealing with their own aging-related issues.”