Psychosocial Adaptation, Disability, and Resilience among Individuals with Amputations in an Indian setting

Traumatic amputations significantly affect physical function, coping, and self-esteem, highlighting the need for comprehensive rehabilitation and holistic nursing care. The study aims to assess the functional disability, coping strategies, and self-esteem of patients with upper or lower limb amputation.

Overall, 250 subjects were recruited from various departments and their services for this cross-sectional correlational study. Data was collected using standardized tools such as the WHODAS 2.0 - 36 Item questionnaire (α=0.98), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations-SF21 (α=0.81), and Rosenberg's Self-esteem scale (α=0.88) by using a researcher-administered method. Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used for analysis.

The findings revealed that 240 (96%) had a severe functional disability, 140 (56%) had a medium level of coping, and 200 (80%) had average self-esteem. Severe functional difficulty 180 (72%) was seen in participation. The majority had a medium level of avoidance coping 140 (56%). Correlation analysis showed a moderate negative association between functional disability and coping strategies (r = -0.514, p < 0.001), a weak negative association between functional disability and self-esteem (r = -0.140, p = 0.027), and a weak-to-moderate negative association between coping strategies and self-esteem (r = -0.280, p < 0.001). These findings indicate statistically significant associations among functional disability, coping strategies, and self-esteem.

The study reveals a deeper connection between functional disability, coping strategies, and self-esteem among amputated patients, pressing the critical need for targeted nursing assessments and strategic interventions.