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Spinal cord injury (SCI) is believed to place the individual at a high risk of psychological disorder. The objective of this paper was to examine the relationship between SCI and negative psychological states by comparing levels of negative psychological states in SCI and able-bodied controls. Participants included 33 people with SCI who had completed their inpatient rehabilitation (that is, when living in the community) and 33 able-bodied controls matched for age and sex. In order to determine levels of negative psychological states, the Profile of Mood States and the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory were completed by all participants. The SCI group was found to have raised levels of psychopathology, with 20% having elevated negative psychological states typical of people with a psychiatric disorder. People with SCI have an increased risk of suffering debilitating levels of psychopathology. Future research needs to investigate psychosocial rehabilitation strategies for lowering negative psychological states such as depressive mood in people with SCI after they have completed their rehabilitation program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]