Objective:

To test a model of spiritual well-being and resilience among individuals with spinal cord injuries and their family members.

Design:

Prospective cross-sectional observational data were analyzed by structural equation modelling.

Setting:

Inpatient and community services at one rehabilitation hospital.

Subjects:

Individual with spinal cord injury (n = 50) and family member (n = 50) dyads.

Interventions:

Standard rehabilitation, both inpatient and community.

Main measure(s):

Functional assessment of chronic illness therapy – spiritual well-being scale – expanded, Connor–Davidson resilience scale, positive and negative affect scale, depression anxiety and stress scale–21, satisfaction with life scale.

Results:

Median time post-injury was 8.95 months (IQR (interquartile range) = 14.15). Individuals with spinal cord injury and family members reported high scores for both spiritual well-being (66.06 ± 14.89; 68.42 ± 13.75) and resilience (76.68 ± 13.88; 76.64 ± 11.75), respectively. Analysis found the model had acceptable fit (e.g. chi-square goodness of fit statistic = 38.789; P = .263). For individuals with spinal cord injury, spiritual well-being was positively associated with resilience which, in turn, was associated with increasing positive affect and satisfaction with life. Among family members, spiritual well-being was positively associated with resilience. Resilience was then associated with lowered levels of depression and mediated the impact of depression on satisfaction with life. Limited evidence was found for mutual dyadic links, with the only significant pathway finding that resilience in the individual with spinal cord injury was associated with increased satisfaction with life among family members.

Conclusion:

Increased spirituality and resilience make a significant contribution (both independently and in combination) to positive psychological outcomes for both individuals with spinal cord injury and their family members.