Coaching for Caregivers of Children With Spinal Cord Injury

Coaching in Context for Caregivers of Children With Spinal Cord Injury

This pilot study has two aims. The first aim is to establish the feasibility of coaching for caregivers of youth with spinal cord injury, and the second aim is to establish methodological procedures for a future multi-center study on the effectiveness of coaching as an intervention for caregivers of youth with spinal cord injury.

This study addresses the unmet needs of female primary informal caregivers of youth with spinal cord injury. A one-group pre-post treatment design will be used. Consented caregivers will receive coaching via face-to-face or via the phone. Each caregiver will participate in up to 10 coaching sessions. Each coaching session will last up to 90 minutes. Coaching sessions will be audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Outcomes of coaching on caregivers' self-identified goals will be assessed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure.

Inclusion Criteria:

• female primary caregiver of youth between 6-13 years of age with traumatic spinal cord injury
• female primary caregivers have legal guardianship of their child with spinal cord injury
• speak, read and comprehend English
• be available for face-to-face coaching
• have a cell phone with text messaging capabilities, and willing to utilize cell or land line for coaching and data collection
• able to verbalize changes in their own participation or their child's participation during initial screen
• written consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• severe mental health condition of female caregiver, as documented in child's medical record or reported to research staff by child's treating MD or medical team member
• abuses illicit or prescribed substances or alcohol at time of initial screen as documented in child's medical record or reported to research staff by child's treating MD or medical team member