Influence of Psychological Factors on Participation and Life Satisfaction in the Context of Travel and Tourism after Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can significantly compromise people’s participation in travel and tourism activities, which is considered an important and meaningful way to engage in one’s chosen lifestyle and wellness pursuits. Yet, travel often presents challenges for people with spinal cord injury (PwSCI), as it requires overcoming a wide range of potential psycho-physical challenges or barriers during trips. There is a lack of theory-based research that can help us understand and address the psychological factors and processes influencing participation and life satisfaction following SCI. Drawing on self-determination theory (SDT), this study examines the effects of psychological needs satisfaction on participation in the travel setting, and their subsequent impact on perceived life satisfaction. This study uses a mixed-methods approach with 39 in-depth telephone interviews conducted that focus on developing needs satisfaction measures for PwSCI in the travel setting, and an online survey among 258 PwSCI examining the relations between needs satisfaction and outcome variables. This study finds that the psychological needs satisfaction of autonomy and relatedness significantly contribute to self-determined participation in travel and tourism activities for PwSCI. This self-determined participation outcome thus represents an individual’s improved ability to exert choice and control, which exhibits their level of regained mobility and further improves their life satisfaction.