Exploring the Peer Mentorship Experiences of Adults With Spinal Cord Injury

• Published in: Rehabilitation psychology Vol. 63; no. 4; pp. 542 - 552
• Main Authors: Chemtob, Keryn, Caron, Jeffrey G., Fortier, Michelle S., Latimer-Cheung, Amy E., Zelaya, Walter, Sweet, Shane N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Psychological Association 01-11-2018
• Subjects: Autonomy; Competence; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Female; Human; Humans; Inpatient; Male; Mentor; Mentors - psychology; Mentors - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; Peer Group; Peers; Personal Autonomy; Psychological Needs; Self-Determination; Spinal Cord Injuries; Spinal Cord Injuries - psychology; Spinal Cord Injuries - rehabilitation; Theories; spinal cord injury; participation; peer mentorship; self-determination theory; basic psychological needs
• ISSN: 0090-5550; 1939-1544
• DOI: 10.1037/rep0000228

Purpose/Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand the peer mentorship experiences of adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) through a self-determination theory (SDT) lens. Research Method/Design: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 13 adults with SCI who received mentorship (i.e., mentees) from fellow adults with SCI (i.e., mentors) as part of an existing provincial peer mentorship program. There were two analyses conducted in this study. The first was deductive, which involved organizing relevant data as per the three basic psychological needs of self-determination theory (i.e., autonomy, competence, and relatedness). The second analysis was inductive and focused on the participants' descriptions of their experiences. Results: For the SDT analysis, and concerning autonomy, mentees expressed they were able to make their own decisions and their mentors' personalized their sessions. Specific to relatedness, the mentees discussed that their mentors cared and empathized with them, which helped them connect with their mentor. In terms of competence, mentees explained that their mentors provided verbal encouragement and helped them realize they were capable of successfully completing tasks. Some mentees also highlighted how the mentors did not listen to their needs, indicating need thwarting behaviors. For the inductive analysis, mentees expressed the importance of their SCI community organization, the impact of mentoring on their families, and the positive outcomes they associated with peer mentorship, such as participation in daily and social activities. Conclusion/Implications: The present findings extend our understanding of SCI peer mentorship from the perspective of the mentee and particularly from an SDT angle.
Impact and Implications
It is the first study to report, from the mentees' perspectives, mentors' behaviors that support or thwart the basic psychological needs. As such, it provides an understanding of mentors' interpersonal behaviors that support or thwart the psychological needs. SCI peer mentorship programs could provide training to their mentors that focus on empathizing with mentees, maximizing mentees' autonomy and decision making in the mentorship process, and enhancing mentees' feeling of capability to complete specific tasks. These programs could also start (or continue) to involve family members in the peer mentorship process as SCI peer mentorship appears to be helpful for both the individual with SCI and their families.