Californians with SCI eligible for study exploring ways to improve quality of life, decrease emotional stress

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, one of the top spinal cord injury rehabilitation hospitals in the U.S., is seeking California residents only over the age of 18 who are no more than a year out from their spinal cord injury (SCI) for a research study investigating the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to improve quality of life and decrease emotional stress (such as anxiety or depression) in hopes of learning how people with SCI deal with emotions in the early period after injury and help them adjust to life after SCI.

CBT is a well-established, short-term, and individualized form of talk therapy that addresses a wide range of concerns and it may help develop different ways of thinking and behaving to help with mood. In this study, CBT will be applied using Apple iPads (provided free to study participants) using FaceTime.

As this is a randomized study, half the participants will receive CBT and the other half will receive routine care from their main doctor. The participants that receive the CBT treatment will receive an iPad to use FaceTime for 10 hourly CBT sessions in 12 weeks. The participants who receive routine care from their main doctor will receive an iPad after completing the three telephone follow-ups over the 6 months of study participation. Both groups will also be called about once a month to see how they are doing.

Other goals of the study include decreasing anxiety and depressive symptoms and improving satisfaction with life. The study participation lasts about six months, starting about two weeks after consenting to participate in the study.

If interested in learning more about this study, please contact: Cria-May Khong at (408) 885-4177.