Adolescents and Young People with Spina Bifida

Abstract

How young people with myelomeningocele view their situation is investigated, and some of their problems are defined. Thirty-five adolescents and young people with this condition were interviewed. The over-all problems of these young people are apparently common to many with congenital physical disabilities, but neurogenic bowel and bladder are additional complications not often experienced by others with orthopedic disabilities. Those with ileal conduits frequently reported both social embarrassment and management difficulties, but bowel incontinence was rarely a dominant problem. The young person''s ability to cope with physical and emotional situations is ultimately not determined by the severity of the disability, but is a product of all the environmental support systems that have been available to him since birth.