Quality of Relationships With Caregivers, Depression, and Life Satisfaction After Dysvascular Lower Extremity Amputation.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To describe the relationship between caregiver-specific support and conflict, and psychosocial outcomes among individuals experiencing their first dysvascular lower extremity amputation (LEA). DESIGN: Cross-sectional cohort study using self-report surveys. SETTING: Department of Veterans Affairs, academic medical center, and level I trauma center. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals undergoing their first major LEA because of complications of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) or diabetes who have a caregiver and completed measures of caregiver support and conflict (N=137; 94.9% men). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to assess depression and the Satisfaction With Life Scale to assess life satisfaction. RESULTS: In multiple regression analyses, controlling for global levels of perceived support, self-rated health, age, and mobility, caregiver-specific support was found to be associated with higher levels of life satisfaction and caregiver-specific conflict was found to be associated with lower levels of life satisfaction and higher levels of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The specific relationship between individuals with limb loss and their caregivers may be an important determinant of well-being. Conflict with caregivers, which has received little attention thus far in the limb loss literature, appears to play a particularly important role. Individuals with limb loss may benefit from interventions with their caregivers that both enhance support and reduce conflict.