Clinical Trial of a Serious Game for Individuals With SCI/D

This study will evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed serious game, SCI HARD, to enhance self-management skills, self-reported health behaviors, and quality of life among adolescents and young adults with spinal cord injury and disease (SCI/D). SCI HARD was designed by the project PI, Dr. Meade, in collaboration with the UM3D (University of Michigan three dimensional) Lab between 2010 and 2013 with funding from a NIDRR (National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research) Field Initiated Development Grant to assist persons with SCI develop and apply the necessary skills to keep their bodies healthy while managing the many aspects of SCI care. The study makes a unique contribution to rehabilitation by emphasizing the concepts of personal responsibility and control over one's health and life as a whole. By selecting an innovative approach for program implementation, we also attempt to address the high cost of care delivery and lack of health care access to underserved populations with SCI/D living across the United States (US). H1: SCI Hard participants will show greater improvements in problem solving skills, healthy attitudes about disability, and SCI Self-efficacy than will control group members; these improvements will be sustained over time within and between groups. H2: SCI Hard participants will endorse more positive health behaviors than control group members; these improvements will be sustained over time within and between groups. H3: SCI Hard participants will have higher levels of QOL than control group members; these differences will be sustained over time within and between groups. H4: Among SCI Hard participants, dosage of game play will be related to degree of change in self-management skills, health behaviors and QOL.

Sex

All

Minimum age

13 Years

Maximum age

29 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* between the ages of 13 and 29
* have a spinal cord dysfunction
* have access to a mobile device on which they can download and play the game
* be English-speaking.

Exclusion Criteria:

* high degrees of emotional distress, suicidal intent, or anxiety (as determined by the Patient Health Questionnaire-Depression Module (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7)). Individuals will also be required to answer questions to confirm that they understand the study as part of the informed consent process.