The 16-year psychological journey of amputee survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake: a qualitative study.

To describe the real psychological experiences of amputee survivors 16 years after the Wenchuan earthquake and explore their psychological journey over this period. This study is a qualitative research, using purposive sampling to select individuals who suffered upper and/or lower limb amputations due to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. One-on-one semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted, and thematic analysis was applied to analyze the interview data and extract themes. A total of 25 participants were included in the study. The 16-year psychological journey of the amputee survivors was divided into four stages, each with its respective themes: (1) Trauma and Conflict Period (1-2 years post-amputation): Themes include feelings of despair and life being worse than death, and the initial experience with prosthetics. (2) Psychological Rehabilitation Period (3-7 years post-amputation): Themes include becoming inseparable from prosthetics, and the rekindling of confidence and hope. (3) Psychological Integration and Self-Reshaping Period (8-10 years post-amputation): Themes include facing with composure, self-transformation. (4) Development Period (11-16 years post-amputation): Themes include enriching the self, accepting reality, facing the future. Society should pay attention to the psychological experiences of amputee survivors after earthquakes and develop targeted psychological intervention programs. The importance of family support, peer support, and other social resources should be emphasized. Promoting positive and proactive emotions and reducing the severity of post-traumatic stress reactions are crucial for improving the survivors' quality of life.