Experience of Male Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury Regarding Opposite-Gender Occupational Therapist During Institution-Based Rehabilitation.

Abstract

Background: Gender is a significant topic in healthcare and client-centred based practice like occupational therapy. In Bangladesh, many male spinal cord injury individuals went through the rehabilitation process under the opposite-gender occupational therapists but so far, there has been little attention for how male spinal cord injury individuals perceived their rehabilitation experience with their female occupational therapists. This study focused to explore the male spinal cord injury individual’s experience regarding their opposite-gender occupational therapists during institution-based rehabilitation. Methods: The phenomenological approach of qualitative research design was chosen to conduct this study with eight male spinal cord injury individuals. The participant recruitment was based on purposive sampling from CRP, spinal cord injury rehabilitation unit. Self-developed interview guide was used to conduct in-depth face-to-face interview from the participants at their preferred place and time. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis which encompasses Braun and Clarke’s six steps. Results: This study identifies six themes with sub-themes which is related to the male SCI individual’s experience regarding their opposite-gender occupational therapists during IBR. Those themes are, 1) Gender preference for Occupational therapists, 2) State of comfort during therapy, 3) Shared beliefs about opposite-gender therapists, 4) Outlook about both male and female occupational therapists, 5) Adjustment strategies during rehabilitation, and 6) Satisfaction regarding female occupational therapist’s professionalism. All Participants were spinal cord injury male persons who were get therapy from opposite-gender occupational therapists at least one month at CRP. Conclusion: This study highlighted the gender discordance aspects among male spinal cord injury individuals and female occupational therapists during Institution-based rehabilitation. The study suggests that addressing the patient and therapist’s gender related issues during rehabilitation can optimize the quality of the rehabilitation services and reduce the subtle therapeutic relationship gap between male spinal cord injury individual’s and female occupational therapists. Keywords: Opposite-gender, Male Spinal Cord Injury, Occupational Therapists, Institution-Based Rehabilitation.