In Brief:
Although a belief still exists that psychological distress is an inevitable consequence of amputation, empirical studies have failed to substantiate the grief model. The authors report two studies to attempt to replicate previous findings in a new cohort of patients and to confirm the greatest need for counseling occurring in the 6- to 24-month postoperative period. The first study established that tumor and trauma patients are more likely to experience emotional difficulties, although they occur in only about half of the sample. The second study was able to show that although the acceptance rate of an invitation for counseling at about the 6-month point was low (23% of those eligible), trauma patients accounted for most of the respondents. The studies conclude that counseling services should be audited to demonstrate that they are appropriately targeted at younger trauma or tumor patients some months after surgery.
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