Perception of the social support for adolescents who undergo corrective back surgery for scoliosis

The objective of this study is to compare the perception of social support upon admission and 6 weeks postoperation of adolescents aged 13 to 19 years (M = 14.7 years), who underwent corrective back surgery for scoliosis. Twenty-two French-speaking participants were found from three different hospital centers located in two large cities in the Quebec province. Data were collected using the French version of Interpersonal Relationships Inventory (IPRI). No significant difference was observed between the results obtained on admission and those obtained 6 weeks later for the global measures of social support available. Nevertheless, analysis of data at the two time points showed a significant difference with regard to intimacy of adolescents. Adolescents reported feeling more invaded in the postoperative period (6 weeks after the surgery) than on admission at the hospital. These results serve to point out the nursing care involvement as well as the surgical techniques and ambulatory care that reduce hospitalization time. The results raise questions about the nurse's role in the adequate support for adolescents as well as the impact of reduced length of hospitalization.