COPING WITH A LEG AMPUTATION - INTEGRATING RESEARCH AND CLINICAL-PRACTICE

Recent research has drawn attention to factors that influence adjustme nt to an amputation. This paper is aimed at integrating these findings with prior studies and providing guidelines for psychologists who wor k with this population. We highlight five key issues that clinicians s hould attend to: 1) amputation is a diverse disability; 2) discriminat ion by others; 3) self-stigma; 4) feeling vulnerable to victimization; and 5) the role of values, meaning and perspective in positive adjust ment. Recommendations for future research are provided.