Training the interdisciplinary team in sexuality rehabilitation following spinal cord injury: A needs assessment

Résumé de l'auteur

[Authors' abstract]

Historically, the management of sexuality issues in spinal cord injury rehabilitation has received scant attention as a staff training issue. This has occurred despite evidence in the literature identifying significant barriers to the provision of sexuality rehabilitation. This paper reports on a needs assessment conducted within an Australian spinal cord injury rehabilitation service to identify the training needs of staff in relation to client sexuality. Using the Knowledge, Comfort, Approach and Attitudes Towards Sexuality Scale (KCAASS), a previously developed theoretical model and questionnaire, 90 multidisciplinary staff were surveyed. A combination of open and closed questioning techniques were used. While the findings suggest some differences between disciplines, the training needs of the interdisciplinary team were surprisingly similar. Knowledge is required in the areas of counselling, professional boundary setting, fertility and assistive devices while specific training is needed to promote staff comfort in dealing with personal approaches from clients.

Commentaire du Centre Ressources

The document is an article regarding a research led in Australia by rehabilitation professionals. The research aimed to meet the needs of an Australian rehabilitation unit to give people a better support for their sexuality especially those who suffered from a spinal injury. One of the objectives was to identify the lack of knowledge of the professionals in order to give those people a better support for their sexual life. Many professionals from rehabilitation units were required to investigate or to participate. Many recommendations were made, among them, the fact to lead training programs on consulting and communication skills to the professionals, on fertility issues, on the teenagers sexuality, on medical cares, physical self-image, privacy… of people with a spinal injury. The document is for health and paramedical professionals, rehabilitation professionals, people with disabilities, sexologists, psychologists…

[Commentaire en français]

Le document est un article issu d’une recherche menée en Australie par des professionnels de la rééducation corporelle. La recherche avait pour but de saisir les besoins d’une unité de rééducation australienne pour accompagner la sexualité de personnes handicapées ayant eu un traumatisme médullaire. Un des objectifs était d’identifier les manques de connaissance des professionnels d’une unité de rééducation pour mieux accompagner la sexualité de ces personnes. Plusieurs professionnels de programmes ou d’unité de rééducation furent mobilisés pour mener l’enquête ou y participer. Plusieurs recommandations sont effectuées dont le fait de  mener des programmes de formation au niveau des compétence de conseil et de communication, auprès des professionnels participant à la rééducation corporelle, sur les thèmes de la fertilité, de la sexualité adolescente, des services d’assistance, de l’image corporelle, de l’intimité, etc., des personnes ayant un traumatisme médullaire. Le document s’adresse aux professionnels de la santé, professionnels paramédicaux, professionnels de la rééducation, personnes handicapées, sexologues, psychologues, etc.