Effects of amputation on the mental health among osteosarcoma survivors: A mixed quantitative study at a city-based corporate hospital in India

Background: An amputation may lead to not only impaired physical function but also psychosocial consequences including emotional health, personal relationships, and social life. Aims: The study aimed to highlight osteosarcoma survivors' experiences of the amputation, focusing on changes in emotional reaction with time to the impairment. In addition, the research sought to assess how the survivors' perceived challenges about body image. Methods: The present mixed quantitative study was conducted among 31 osteosarcoma survivors at the department of ortho-oncology in a tertiary hospital in India. According to the hospital medical records, participants included in the study were individuals who had undergone acquired amputation 6 months to 1 year before, had no history of pulmonary metastasis, were receiving follow-up treatment, and were between 18 and 25 years of age. To assess body-image perception, survivors went through the psychological assessment by using validated tool (Amputation Body Image Scale). A clinical psychologist used semistructured interviews with same group of survivors to collect qualitative data. In this research, quantitative data have been analyzed by applying appropriate statistics and qualitative data transcribed, coded, and analyzed by experienced psychologists for addressing 3 areas: breaking news, adapting the word “amputation,” phantom sensation, and self-inferiority complex vs. social insecurity-related impairment. Results: The age mean of 31 osteosarcoma survivors with amputation was 22.41 ± 4.08. They were 87 % above the knee and 13% had partial hand amputation. Amputation Body Image Scale's average score was 60.1 ± 19.62 and it was not correlated with the length of time of amputation surgery took itself, age, and sex ( p ≥ 0.005). Our study emerged 4 themes: amputation was usually the thought of life-ending. Survivors reported a feeling of a handicap when facing the mirror just after amputation. As per the survivor's viewpoint, the self-inferiority complex plays an important role in developing psychological stress that affects their psychological well-being. Conclusions: Various stages of the diagnostic treatment pathway give rise to unique and diverse influences on physical, emotional, social, and psychological well-being. The entire process, starting from the acquired amputation to coping with everyday life, can be demanding and difficult.