This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Snekkevik, H. Articles by Fugl-Meyer, A. R Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Snekkevik, H. Articles by Fugl-Meyer, A. R Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Is sense of coherence stable after multiple trauma?

Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesoddtangen

Audny GW Anke

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Hospital of Tromsø, Nesoddtangen, Norway

Johan K Stanghelle

Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesoddtangen, Norway

Axel R Fugl-Meyer

Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

Objectives: To explore whether sense of coherence (SOC) is stable over time after multiple trauma. The associations between SOC and satisfaction with life as a whole, as well as aspects of psychological well-being, were explored. Finally, an overriding aim was to assess whether SOC has long-term prognostic value for global life satisfaction or psychological well-being.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital.

Subjects: Twenty-six subjects with severe multiple trauma, without neuropsychological deficits.

Main outcome measures: Questionnaires that were answered at admission, at discharge and at follow-up 1–3 years after trauma were: Sense of Coherence Scale 13 items (SOC-13), satisfaction with life as a whole, General Health Questionnaire 20 items (GHQ-20), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD).

Results: While median SOC scores were fairly stable, individual scores were not stable over time, and for some subjects showed large variations. SOC score had neither long-term prognostic value for satisfaction with life as a whole nor for psychological well-being, at least not in the first years after severe multiple trauma. However, SOC was closely associated with overall life satisfaction when measured simultaneously. Furthermore, a weak SOC correlated with scores on psychological distress, anxiety and depression. SOC scores were also significantly related to being or not being in a state of anxiety, but not to being or not being depressed. Global life satisfaction was considerably reduced from before trauma (reported at admission) to the time of follow-up.

Conclusion: SOC was not stable over time after severe multiple trauma. SOC measured at admission could neither predict future satisfaction with life as a whole nor future psychological well-being. Measured simultaneously, overall life satisfaction and occurrence of anxiety were significantly associated with SOC.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Z. Brzoza, A. Kasperska-Zajac, K. Badura-Brzoza, J. Matysiakiewicz, R. T. Hese, and B. Rogala Decline in Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate Observed in Chronic Urticaria is Associated With Psychological Distress Psychosom Med, July 1, 2008; 70(6): 723 - 728. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. C. Lustig and D. R. Strauser The Impact of Sense of Coherence on Career Thoughts for Individuals With Disabilities Rehabil Couns Bull, April 1, 2008; 51(3): 139 - 147. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S.-M. Volanen, S. Suominen, E. Lahelma, M. Koskenvuo, and K. Silventoinen Sense of coherence and its determinants: A comparative study of the Finnish-speaking majority and the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland Scand J Public Health, October 1, 2006; 34(5): 515 - 525. [Abstract] [PDF]

				B. Lindstrom and M. Eriksson Salutogenesis J. Epidemiol. Community Health, June 1, 2005; 59(6): 440 - 442. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Eriksson and B. Lindstrom Validity of Antonovsky's sense of coherence scale: a systematic review J. Epidemiol. Community Health, June 1, 2005; 59(6): 460 - 466. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]