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Shifting the balance: conceptualising empowerment in individuals with spinal cord injury
Author(s) -
Rohatinsky Noelle,
Goodridge Donna,
Rogers Marla R.,
Nickel Darren,
Linassi Gary
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
health and social care in the community
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.984
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1365-2524
pISSN - 0966-0410
DOI - 10.1111/hsc.12370
Subject(s) - empowerment , thematic analysis , context (archaeology) , psychology , promotion (chess) , social psychology , qualitative research , nursing , medicine , sociology , political science , politics , geography , social science , law , archaeology
Empowerment is believed to be an essential element in self‐management of disease and the promotion of self‐efficacy, and can be defined as the ability of individuals to increase control over aspects of their lives. In contrast, powerlessness in individuals with chronic illness can occur when they perceive that they lack the capacity, authority or resources to affect an outcome. Individuals with spinal cord injuries ( SCI s) are at risk for powerlessness and have the potential to become empowered, but these concepts have not been explored within their context. The purpose of this study was to explore how individuals with SCI enact the empowerment process using L ord's (1991) process of empowerment framework. This study used a secondary analysis of a data set obtained from a mixed methods study exploring access to health and social care for 23 persons with SCI in Saskatchewan, Canada. The primary study data were collected from September 2012 to January 2013. The secondary analysis of data utilised a deductive thematic analysis approach and findings were conceptualised and applied to a model that represents the shift in balance between powerlessness and empowerment in individuals with SCI .