SPINAL CORD INJURY DUE TO DIVING ACCIDENTS AND STRESS AMONG ARTISANAL FISHERS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the presence and symptoms of stress among artisanal fishers who are victims of spinal cord injury. Method: this descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative study was conducted with a non-probabilistic sample of 44 fishers, victims of spinal cord injury on the beaches of the northern coast of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Data were collected using an inventory designed for adults addressing the presence and symptoms of stress, and a form addressing the participants’ sociodemographic and clinical variables. Descriptive analysis considered the participants’ scores. Results: all fishers were male, aged 23.87 ± 20.9 years old on average; time since the accident that caused the injury was 33.3 ± 19.31 years on average; the level of injury most frequently affected was the thoracic spine (41.8%), of which the main sequel was paraplegia (50.0%). The findings reveal stress compatible with the exhaustion phase (25.0%), followed by the resistance phase (13.6%), with the main symptoms including: insomnia, tachycardia, hypertension, and sexual problems, among others. Conclusion: the stress identified among the fishers was in the exhaustion phase and physical symptoms predominated. A spinal cord injury impacts the victim’s social, occupational and family context, leading to the emergence of stress.