Sustaining a spinal cord injury is a traumatic life event which can create a great deal of stress and upset for everyone involved. Most people experience a whole range of emotions, which are entirely normal but may feel difficult to cope with. 

At MCSI we have a dedicated Inpatient Clinical Psychology service which aims to support both patients and their families to cope in the time following the injury.  

The team are able to talk with inpatients about any concerns they might have and how they are coping. This can provide an opportunity to talk about losses, fears and worries about the future.  There can be many adjustments that need to take place in life following spinal cord injury. Many people find it helpful to have the opportunity to talk to someone at this time.  

The service supports people with a whole range of different issues, which may impact on their ability to cope with the situation including pre-existing mental health issues, problems with memory and thinking, substance dependency, other complex life circumstances, managing chronic pain and concerns about relationships and sexuality. 

Psychologists work as part of the multi-disciplinary team of professionals caring for patients admitted to MCSI.  The amount and kind of contact that each patient has with the psychology service varies, depending on an individual’s level of need, as well as their choice about how they would like to be supported.   

At the point of discharge, the department can provide advice for people with a spinal cord injury on how to access support from local services, to ensure that an individual has the required support in their local area. 

Sources of Psychological Support in the Community for People with SCI

If you are concerned about your psychological or emotional well-being, there are many different kinds of support that may be available.  These will differ somewhat from area to area.  This sheet is to give you some ideas about how to get the right sort of help for you.

NHS Support in Your Local Area

Your GP is probably the best person to advise you about the specific NHS services in your local area.  Most areas now provide ‘Talking Therapies Services’ which enable people to be seen relatively quickly by a psychological therapist under the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) scheme.  You can contact Talking Therapies Services yourself and do not need a GP referral to access this.  

A therapist will assess your needs and advise you about the sort of support they can provide.  They often provide telephone appointments, if it is difficult for you to get out.  They generally offer support in relation to living with anxiety or depression as well as in relation to living with a long-term condition.

You should be able to find your nearest Talking Therapies service on the internet.  The webpages have links to information about the service, self-help information, as well as information about making a self-referral.  Contact details for some of the services within our region are listed below:

There are also Community Mental Health Teams that work across different areas.  Depending on your specific difficulties, your GP may refer you to your local Community Mental Health Team for support from a Mental Health Practitioner.  This is a more specialist service, so will require a medical referral.  The Talking Therapies Service is also able to refer you on for this kind of support if they feel it would be beneficial to you.

The different SCI charities provide support specifically for people with SCI.  For many people, the support offered by these charities can feel more relevant, as it relates specifically to the issues relating to SCI and coping and adjusting to the changes that this brings.  You can look on the different charity websites to find out more about the kinds of support they offer, which may be helpful to you.  The websites also have lots of information and resources about life with SCI.  Contact details for the charities that we work closely with are provided below: 

Peer support workers from each of these charities visit MCSI on a weekly basis.  You may have met people from these charities whilst you have been an inpatient.

Examples of the kinds of support you may be able to access include Telephone Counselling – which is provided by the Spinal Injuries Association, or Peer Mentoring – which is provided by Back Up.  Both are free to access and are delivered over the telephone.

Mental Health Charities

• Mind

  • Mind is a national mental health charity.  It has a good website with helpful links and resources www.mind.org.uk   There are local branches in many areas that offer a range of activities and information.  Many offer counselling and therapeutic support.  There is a telephone number for information 0300 123 3393 (Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm).

• Samaritans

  • Talk to someone day or night, whatever is bothering you by calling their helpline 116 123 or visiting the website www.samaritans.org

• Relate

  • Relate offer counselling, information and support services geared up to help you with issues affecting your relationships and sexual issues.  They can provide online, telephone or face to face support.  You may have to pay for these services.  You can find your nearest centre on their website: www.relate.org.uk

• Contact your GP as soon as possible and explain how you are feeling. They can create an immediate plan to help you.
• If it is outside normal hours and you are seriously concerned about your immediate well-being, go to A&E for urgent support.