Spinal Cord Injury Identified with Violence: Community Reintegration in Urban Areas

The data from a two-part study comparing outcomes related to firearm injuries versus injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes are reanalyzed from the perspective of an operational definition of antisocial behavior. One hundred sixty-four men with spinal cord injury (77 motor vehicle injuries and 87 firearm injuries) who were at least 2 years post injury completed an in-person interview. The interview included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the civilian version of the Mississippi Scale of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (M-PTSD), and the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique (CHART) as outcome measures. The CHART was used as a measure of community reintegration. The data were categorized into three groups based on combinations of gang involvement and incarceration history. Unlike the findings associated with etiology, groups categorized by indicators of antisocial behavior were shown to be significantly different on all three outcome measures. In addition, correlation patterns between the three outcome measures were different for the three groups. Thus, treatment decisions and outcome expectations based on the superficial category of etiology should be avoided. Impairment, disability, education, employment history, and history of antisocial behavior are the most important factors associated with community reintegration.