Psychological status and quality of life of patients after lower limb amputation: results of a pilot study
Introduction. Lower limb amputation (LLA) due to serious illness or injury significantly affects the mental and emotional state and quality of life (QoL) of patients. The research of QoL and the psychological features of amputated patients is insufficient. This determines the relevance of this study of the clinical and psychological status and QoL of patients who underwent LLA. Aims: to study the clinical and psychological status and quality of life of patients who underwent lower limb amputation. Materials and methods. 39 patients were studied using the following psychological and clinical methods: visual analogue scale of pain intensity (VAS); Watkins scale of pain severity; Karnofsky scale; MSTS scale; a structured interview; the questionnaires “Big Five”, “Ways of Coping Questionnaire” (WCQ), “Purpose in Life Test” (PIL), “The Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30” (QLQ-C30). Results. Patients’ “Conscientiousness” is above average and is significantly higher than the same indicator of the normative sample (p < 0.001). The lowest indicators in the patients’ personality profile are “Agreeableness” and “Openness”. The constructive strategies “Accepting responsibility” and “Seeking social support” are the leading ones in the structure of patients’ coping behaviour. The “Escape-avoidance” (p ≤ 0.001), “Distancing” (p < 0.01) and “Positive reappraisal” (p < 0.001) strategies are the least expressed in the profile and are significantly lower than in the normative sample. The level of internality in the studied group of patients who underwent LLA is significantly higher than in the normative samples. The subjective assessment of the general level of QoL and its parameters in the LLA group correspond to the objectively diagnosticated general physical and functional state of patients. The coping strategy “Accepting responsibility” has most correlations with QoL indicators. Conclusion. The QoL indicators obtained in a group of inpatients during postoperative treatment and rehabilitation can be complemented by a dynamic study of QoL in the future for the development of effective rehabilitation programs for patients after LLA.