2.1. Procedures and Recruitment
ideation, traumatic
MAY
This study consists of analyses of data collected as part of a randomized controlled trial of a group psychological health promotion intervention for women with SCI living in the United States. The study was underway at the time of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, we decided to add one open-ended question about the impacts of the pandemic to the existing study survey. The data reported here represent responses to the first survey participants completed after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. For two cohorts, the data reflect responses from their baseline survey; for one cohort, their post-intervention survey; and for one cohort, their six-month follow-up survey. For all respondents, the responses reflect the first time they were presented with the open-ended question about the pandemic, and for all participants, data were collected between May and September, 2020.After obtaining approval from our Institutional Review Board, we recruited nationally by distributing study announcements through local and national disability, healthcare, or community service organizations, as well as through our center’s database of women with SCI who had given prior consent to be contacted about research opportunities. We invited interested individuals to contact us by either phone or email. We then conducted a screening interview to determine eligibility and obtain consent. Women were eligible if they were 18 years of age or older; had a traumatic SCI for at least one year; used a mobility device; had access to a computer, email, and the Internet; and resided in the community versus an institution. Exclusion criteria included the inability to provide consent, complete questionnaires, and participate in the intervention in English; self-reported misuse of alcohol or other drugs; suicidal ideation with intent; and sensory impairment that prohibited participation in the intervention. We also required individuals to demonstrate informed consent by correctly answering questions about the study.