The role of perceived vulnerability in adjustment to lower extremity amputation: A preliminary investigation.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the role of feelings of vulnerability in postamputation adjustment problems such as depression and diminished quality of life. Participants: Eighty-four patients with a lower extremity amputation. Setting: Five affiliated prosthetic clinics in Chicago. Main Measures: The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES–D), a 3-item quality-of-life measure, and a 2-item vulnerability measure. Participants' prosthetists completed a single-item rating of perceived adjustment. Results: Vulnerability accounted for significant portions of the variance in CES–D scores, quality-of-life ratings, and prosthetists' adjustment ratings. Conclusion: Feelings of vulnerability significantly affect adjustment in persons with amputations, and this impact is not limited to a single domain. Clinicians should assess feelings of vulnerability, the degree to which such feelings are realistic, and any past experiences with victimization. These issues need to be addressed with both individual counseling and community interventions aimed at reducing victimization of individuals with disabilities.

Coping with a Lower Limb Amputation due to Vascular Disease in the Hospital, Rehabilitation, and Home Setting

“…In regard to adjustment, rates of depressive symptoms in our sample (31%) were within the range found in other populations of individuals who had an amputation [4][5][6][7][8][9]. Depressive symptoms were associated with escape-avoidance during hospitalization and accepting responsibility for the amputation after discharge from rehabilitation.…”

“…The coping abilities of individuals who had an amputation are greatly utilized and some may be overwhelmed by the task at hand. In fact, 15 to 42% of them develop depressive symptoms [4][5][6][7][8][9]. When facing a stressful situation, people react by using coping strategies, that is, they engage in multiple behavioral and cognitive efforts to regain or maintain their well-being [10].…”

Predictors of quality of life among individuals who have a lower limb amputation

“…In addition, common factors such as walking distance (Pell et al 1993), mobility problems (Behel et al 2002), symptoms of depression (Livneh et al 1999), and social support (Rybarczyk et al 1995) have also been suggested as important predictors of QoL. Despite the growing popularity of QoL and amputee studies, QoL remains a relatively poorly studied 232 M. Asano et al concept in this population (Gallagher and MacLachlan 2002).…”

A path of perpetual resilience: Exploring the experience of a diabetes-related amputation through grounded theory

“…According to Behel, Rybarczyk, Elliott, Nicholas, and Nyenhuis (2002) increased feelings of vulnerability following amputation were associated with depression, lower quality of life and poorer adjustment, while De Godoy, Braile, Buzatto, Longo, and Fontes (2002) found that quality of life was generally lower for those with an amputation compared with carers who had not undergone amputation, however, mental health and vitality were not different from the carer control group. Use of an unrelated control group may have yielded different results.…”

“…Offering participants the opportunity to provide refl ective and individual experiences of amputation through qualitative research processes allows the researcher to discover what is most meaningful for participants without depersonalising or limiting the data. The research aimed to invite individuals who had undergone a diabetes-related amputation to describe their experiences of amputation and to use this information to generate grounded theory that would lead health professionals and relevant others towards a more comprehensive understanding of the realities of post-amputation life (Behel et al, 2002). The research question was: 'What is the person with diabetes experiencing in day-to-day life, post-amputation?…”