Spinal Cord Injury and Psychosocial Burden of Survivors: Lived Psychosocial Realities and the Scope of Social Work Intervention

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-altering condition with far-reaching physical, psychological, social, and economic consequences. In India, the impact of SCI is intensified by inadequate rehabilitation services, limited psychosocial support, and persistent social stigma surrounding disability. While medical literature has extensively documented the clinical aspects of SCI, comparatively less attention has been given to the lived psychosocial realities of individuals navigating long-term disability within constrained social systems. This paper examines spinal cord injury as a multidimensional social issue, drawing upon existing literature and field-based insights derived from lived experiences of the survivors. The paper explores the psychosocial burden associated with SCI, including emotional distress, family caregiving dynamics, economic vulnerability, and social exclusion. It further highlights the scope of social work intervention across individual, family, community, and policy levels. The paper argues for a holistic, rights-based, and psychosocially informed social work intervention to spinal cord injury rehabilitation in India.