A central resource for individuals with congenital or aquired limb loss, their families, carers and healthcare professionals
  • select font size  
  • small text
  • medium text
  • large text
HOMEHOME
ChairtiesCHARITIES
ABOUT THE LIMB LOSS INFORMATION CENTREABOUT LLIC
HELPHELP
SITE MAPSITE MAP

The BLESMA Members Survey

The BLESMA Members’ Survey was conducted in October 2003 by Deirdre Desmond & Professor Malcolm MacLachlan Trinity Psychoprosthetics Group, Department of Psychology, Trinity College, Dublin.

Summary Report:

In light of the immediacy of the physical demands engendered by limb amputation research has primarily focused on aspects of physical adjustment and prosthetic rehabilitation thus investigation of the psychosocial experiences and consequences of adjustment to amputation has remained comparatively unresearched. Furthermore, much of the research has concentrated on dysvascular amputation and relatively sparse research attention has been directed at the incidence and outcomes of amputation related to trauma hence little is know about the long-term outcomes for individuals sustaining traumatic amputations.
(Dillingham, Pezzin, & MacKenzie, 1998; Dougherty, 2003; Pezzin, Dillingham, & MacKenzie, 2000).

The current research was conducted to investigate the long-term outcomes for BLESMA members and to indentify factors associated with favourable psychosocial adaptation.

Specifically the research sought to:

1) investigate the occurrence, persistence and impact of post-amputation phantom (PLP) and residual limb pain (RLP);
2) examine the extent and determinants of prosthesis use and satisfaction; and
3) assess the prevalence of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

The main findings include the following:

1) post-amputation PLP and RLP are common and persistent; 67.6% (646) and 67.2% (630) of respondents reported phantom limb pain and residual limb pain,
respectively;
2) prosthesis use is very high amongst BLESMA members, most respondents used their prostheses for more than 8 hours daily;
3) individuals with lower extremity amputations due to disease expressed less satisfaction with the comfort with the fit and comfort of their prostheses than
individuals with trauma-related amputations;
4) although the members surveyed as a group do not differ substantially from the general population in terms of prevalence of anxiety symptoms some respondents
reported substantially elevated anxiety levels;
5) a substantial number of respondents met the screening criteria for clinical depression and symptoms of post-traumatic stress;
6) overall BLESMA members consider themselves in reasonably good health and fairly physically capable.

To find out more about BLESMA and to see other relevant information, please click here.