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

Objective: To examine the role of feelings of vulnerability in post-amputation 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.