Factors Influencing Preoperative Psychological Resilience in Patients With Traumatic Lower Extremity Fractures

The psychological resilience of patients with traumatic lower extremity fractures is relevant and has been studied in the postoperative rehabilitation phase; yet, few studies have focused on the early preoperative phase.

This study aims to explore preoperative psychological resilience in patients with traumatic lower extremity fractures.

This single-center cross-sectional survey design study was conducted over 5 months from December 2022 to April 2023 in a tertiary hospital in Shanghai, China. We used a convenience sampling method to assess psychological resilience in traumatic lower extremity fracture patients electronically. We administered the online surveys using the Questionnaire Star applet prior to surgery using the following tools: (a) general information questionnaire, (b) Numerical Rating Scale, (c) Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and (d) General Self-Efficacy Scale.

A total of N = 175 patients were studied, of which n = 166 patients fully completed the survey for a response rate of 95%. Patients with traumatic lower extremity fractures demonstrated a low degree of psychological resilience preoperatively (M = 49.28, SD = 13.64). Patients' psychological resilience and self-efficacy showed a significant positive correlation (r = .577). Factors associated with patients' psychological resilience in multivariate linear analyses included level of education, medical insurance, and self-efficacy (p < .05).

We found that preoperative psychological resilience in patients with traumatic lower-extremity fractures is poor and influenced by various factors; thus, future efforts should focus on providing timely, targeted interventions.