Effects of Community Reintegration Outings on Anxiety and Self-Consciousness

This study is a collaborative effort between recreational therapy (RT) faculty members at East Carolina University and the RT Department at Pitt County Memorial Hospital. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of community reintegration outings (CRO) on the state anxiety and self-consciousness of people with spinal cord injuries. While CRO are widely used in RT and other fields, little research exists that documents effects of these outings. This project will collect data from persons with SCI before and after participation in community reintegration outings to determine changes in state anxiety and self-consciousness. RT professionals at PCMH will administer (a) the State Anxiety Inventory data immediately prior to and following regularly scheduled CRO and (b) the Self-Consciousness Scale when participants are first assessed and just prior to discharge. Researchers have documented that physical exertion lowers anxiety levels. Therefore, physical exertion will be monitored for participants through the use of wheel odometers. Data collection will continue until a sufficient number of clients have participated to insure appropriate statistical power (approximately 100).

Scholars @ ECU