A 20-year-old male with T6 AIS A paraplegia 3 months post-injury stops wearing shorts in public due to appearance of atrophy. This behavior BEST reflects which psychosocial consequence of SCI?

A 20-year-old male with T6 AIS A paraplegia 3 months post-injury stops wearing shorts in public due to appearance of atrophy. This behavior BEST reflects which psychosocial consequence of SCI?

• A. Loss of bowel and bladder control
• B. Altered self-esteem and body image
• C. Role reversal within the family
• D. Cognitive impairment due to the injury

Answer: (B)

Body image and self-esteem after spinal cord injury are often reshaped by how the body looks and functions. In this scenario, the young man notices leg atrophy three months after injury and chooses to stop wearing shorts in public. That behavior signals heightened self-consciousness about his appearance and a drop in how he values himself because of visible changes to his body. It reflects altered self-esteem and body image as a psychosocial consequence of SCI. Other options describe different issues that aren’t best explained by this behavior: loss of bowel and bladder control is a functional challenge, not specifically about appearance; role reversal within the family refers to shifts in caregiving or responsibilities; cognitive impairment would involve changes in thinking or memory, which aren’t indicated here.

Body image and self-esteem after spinal cord injury are often reshaped by how the body looks and functions. In this scenario, the young man notices leg atrophy three months after injury and chooses to stop wearing shorts in public. That behavior signals heightened self-consciousness about his appearance and a drop in how he values himself because of visible changes to his body. It reflects altered self-esteem and body image as a psychosocial consequence of SCI.

Other options describe different issues that aren’t best explained by this behavior: loss of bowel and bladder control is a functional challenge, not specifically about appearance; role reversal within the family refers to shifts in caregiving or responsibilities; cognitive impairment would involve changes in thinking or memory, which aren’t indicated here.