Features of experience of crisis associated with foot amputation by the elderly patients

The article is devoted to the study of the features of experiencing a crisis associated with amputation of the foot by the elderly patients. The aim of the research was to study the characteristics of elderly patients experiencing a crisis associated with amputation of the foot. We studied 31 patients with the threat of foot amputation at the age of 59–73 years, who were hospitalized at the stage of reconstructive operations. The second group consisted of 32 patients aged 59–73 years who underwent amputation of the foot at least 7 days ago undergoing postoperative rehabilitation in the in-patient department of the hospital. Research methods: empirical (conversation, questioning, testing). A comparison of the indicators obtained during an empirical study revealed that elderly people with the risk of foot amputation are more likely to experience negative emotional experiences than elderly people with an amputated foot, use non-adaptive coping strategies, and have higher severity of dysfunctional believes, note dissatisfaction with one’s own body and correlate negative emotional experiences with the lower limbs, especially the feet. Compared to patients with the threat of foot amputation, patients with amputated foot are more likely to experience positive emotions, note less pronounced pain, use such psychological defense as intellectualization, note less dissatisfaction with their own body and project the entire spectrum of emotions in the head area. The results of testing and verifying the effectiveness of the program of psychological support for optimizing the psycho-emotional state of patients with the threat of foot amputation are presented.