[01] Ebere Ugboh, Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria. [02] Syvester Ceaser Chukwu, Department of Medical Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria. [03] Adebisi Isiak Hammed, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. [04] Chigozie Obaseki, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has been described as one of the greatest calamities that can be fall humans. SCI affects a person’s physical function and psychological wellbeing. Stroke is a rapidly developing loss of brain function(s) due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. The physical manifestation of stroke is paresis or paralysis of the muscles of the limbs of the contra lateral side, otherwise known as hemiparetic or hemiplegic side. Many a time, stroke survivors experience frustrating physical, affective, psycho social and cognitive disabilities that affect their quality of life. The study investigated the inter dependence of self esteem, depression, social support and quality of life among patients with cerebrovascular accident (stroke) and spinal cord injury (SCI). The study adopted across-sectional survey research design. A total of 60 participants (30 stroke patients and 30 SCI patients) participated in this study. The selected psycho social variables such as depression and self-esteem were assessed using Beck Depression Inventory Questionnaire (BDI) and Self Esteem Questionnaire (SE), respectively. Also, social support and quality of life were assessed using Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ6) and Short Form (SF-36) Health Questionnaire, respectively. The data obtained from this study were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The demographic profile of the respondents was summarized using frequency counts and percentages. The relationship of social support, depression, self esteem and quality of life in both SCI and stroke patients were analyzed using Spearman rho. The results obtained from this study showed that both stroke and SCI were seen more in individual’s above 41 years. However, majority of the stroke patients were married while most SCI patients were single. Also, a significant association between social support, depression and quality of life was found among stroke patients (p<0.05) but insignificant relationship was seen to exist between self-esteem and quality of life in stroke patients (p>0.05). Similarly, depression and quality of life were observed to relate significantly among SCI patients (p<0.05) but the study showed no significant association between social support, self-esteem and quality of life in SCI patients (p>0.05). It was therefore concluded that social support and depression are associated with quality of life in stroke patients while depression is associated with quality of life in SCI patients. It was therefore recommended that caregivers and families of stroke and SCI patients should be educated on the importance of social support and community re-integration on the well-being of stroke and SCI patients.

Stroke, Spinal Cord Injury, Quality of Life, Psychosocial Parameters

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