Assessing the psychosocial impact of mobility assistive technology on women Veterans

Despite the growing number of women Veterans with disabilities, data on how well mobility assistive technology (MAT) meets their needs are limited. Evaluating psychosocial impact is key to ensuring that MAT not only meets physical needs but also fosters social participation, mental well-being, and independence. The aim of this study was to examine the perceived psychosocial impact of using MAT on women Veterans' competence, adaptability, and self-esteem.

Women Veterans (N = 501) who received MAT from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs within the past five years completed a national online survey including the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS). Women were asked to score the PIADS on the basis of their experiences using their primary device type: cane, leg-foot orthosis, walker, power wheelchair (PWC), scooters, manual wheelchair (MWC), or crutches.

Participants expressed an overall positive psychosocial impact of MAT on competence (mean = 1.03, SD = 1.23), adaptability (mean = 0.76, SD = 1.43), and self-esteem (mean = 0.67, SD = 1.22). Around 17% of the total item responses indicated a negative perceived psychosocial impact of using MAT. PWC users' item scores indicated higher positive psychosocial impact than those of other device-type users (0.001 < p < 0.023).

Despite the overall positive psychosocial benefits of MAT, use was associated with feelings of low self-esteem, frustration, and embarrassment. The results highlight a possible mental health benefit for PWC users compared with other MAT users.