Assertiveness, anxiety, and interpersonal discomfort among amputees: implications for assertiveness training.

It has been suggested that the onset of physical disability may lead to deficits in assertiveness. Therefore, in the present study assertiveness, interpersonal discomfort, anxiety, and demographic variables were investigated among lower limb amputees. Amputees completed self-report measures and hospital visitors served as a control group. Multiple regression analyses identified age as a significant predictor variable for assertiveness among amputee subjects. Similarly, outpatient status was a significant predictor variable for discomfort in interpersonal situations. It was concluded that only selected amputees may require assertiveness training, and recommendations were made for further research. The findings support the screening of disabled subjects in future assertiveness research, especially with respect to age and outpatient status. Further investigations in amputee populations are needed to describe the incidence, nature, and duration of discomfort and anxiety as psychosocial responses to amputation. Additionally, future studies should include a measure of discomfort in interpersonal situations at serial time periods during amputees' rehabilitation to describe existing patterns over time.