Psychiatric and Emotional Sequelae of Surgical Amputation

The prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms after the experience of amputation is not well established. The current study gathered data on the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disorders after amputation. Participants were recruited from a large Northeastern rehabilitation hospital and were assessed with structured clinical interviews. The data suggest that planned surgical amputations resulting from chronic illness do not frequently lead to PTSD symptoms. In contrast, data suggest that amputation resulting from accidental injury may lead to a higher prevalence of PTSD, in part because of the emotional stress surrounding the accident.