Psychosocial adaptation to amputation: the role of sociodemographic variables, disability-related factors and coping strategies.

This study examined the roles of sociodemographic variables, disability-related factors, and coping strategies as predictors of the psychosocial adaptation of 61 persons with amputations. Psychosocial adaptation was conceptualized as a multifaceted outcome criterion and was measured by seven scales from the Reactions to Impairment and Disability Inventory (RIDI) and the Acceptance of Disability (AD) scale. A series of multiple regression analyses indicated that both a set of sociodemographic variables and disability-related factors (age, duration of amputation, type of amputation) and a set of coping strategies (action problem-solving, emotion-focusing, behavioral/problem disengagement, cognitive disengagement) accounted, albeit differentially, for significant portions of the variance in the outcome measures of psychosocial adaptation to amputation. Of the various coping strategies, active problem-solving was negatively associated with the psychosocial reactions of depression and internalized anger (RIDI) but it was positively associated to adjustment (RIDI) and acceptance of disability (AD). Emotion-focusing and cognitive disengagement were positively associated with anxiety, depression, and externalized hostility (RIDI) and negatively associated with acceptance of disability (AD). Measurement and theoretical implications are briefly outlined.