Article

OBJECTIVES: To explore patterns of change in positive affect, general adjustment
to lower-limb amputation, and self-reported disability from rehabilitation
admission to 15 months postdischarge, and to examine whether goal pursuit and
goal adjustment tendencies predict either initial status or rates of change in
these outcomes, controlling for sociodemographic and clinical covariates. DESIGN:
Prospective cohort study with 4 time points (t1: on admission; t2: 6wk
postdischarge; t3: 6mo postdischarge; t4: 15mo postdischarge). SETTING: Inpatient
rehabilitation. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive sample (N=98) of persons aged >/=18
years with major lower-limb amputation. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN
OUTCOME MEASURES: Positive affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect
Schedule; general adjustment subscale of the Trinity Amputation and Prosthesis
Experience Scales-Revised; and World Health Organization Disability Assessment
Schedule 2.0. RESULTS: Positive affect decreased from t1 to t4 for the overall
sample, whereas general adjustment increased. Self-reported disability scores
remained stable over this period. Stronger goal pursuit tendencies were
associated with greater positive affect at t1, and stronger goal adjustment
tendencies were associated with more favorable initial scores on each outcome
examined. With regard to rates of change, stronger goal pursuit tendencies
buffered against decreases in positive affect and promoted decreases in
self-reported disability over time, whereas stronger goal adjustment tendencies
enhanced increases in general adjustment to lower-limb amputation. CONCLUSIONS:
Greater use of goal pursuit and goal adjustment strategies appears to promote
more favorable adjustment to lower-limb amputation over time across a range of
important rehabilitation outcomes.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS