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Psychiatric and Emotional Sequelae of Surgical Amputation

Received October 13, 2005; revised January 31, 2006; accepted February 9, 2006. From the Department of Psychology, Tufts University, Medford, MA. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Scott L. Rauch, M.D., Dept. of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Bldg. 149, 13th Street, Room 2618, Charlestown, MA 02129. e-mail: rauch{at}psych.mgh.harvard.edu

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.

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