Role of Family Satisfaction in Predicting Life Satisfaction Trajectories Over the First Five Years Following Acquired Disability

Abstract

This study aimed to model the trajectories of life satisfaction as influenced by functional impairment and family satisfaction over a five-year period following spinal cord injury, severe burns, and lower-extremity fractures. Marital status and injury type were included to estimate predicted life satisfaction over the five-year period post-injury. Measures: Six-hundred sixty-two participants completed the Functional Independence Measure, Family Satisfaction Scale, and Life Satisfaction Inventory at 12, 24, 48, and 60 months post-injury. Results: Family satisfaction was a consistent predictor of life satisfaction across models. Consistent with past research (Resch et al., 2009), functional impairment was significantly predictive of life satisfaction. Conclusions: Individuals predicted to be most at risk were those individuals with severe burns, who were divorced or separated, with low family satisfaction, and/or high functional impairment.