Exploring the prevalence of serious mental illness among Albertans living with peripheral arterial disease who have undergone a lower limb amputation

• Author / Creator

  Cray, Danielle J

• Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a chronic disease that may lead to severe consequences including loss of lower limb. With a known relationship between chronic disease and mental illness, it is paramount to establish the prevalence of mental illness to guide the development of strategies that support individuals living with concurrent mental illness and chronic disease. This thesis examines the prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI) among Albertans living with PAD who have undergone a lower limb amputation (LLA), with the consideration of various other variables of interest. A retrospective cohort design was used whereby existing health data records were analyzed from the years 2017 through to 2019 to determine the study group, which included anyone who had a primary diagnosis of, and hospitalization with PAD, and was over the age of 18. Demographics of the study group are discussed and the following independent variables were reviewed; age, sex, geography, housing, diabetes, length of stay, and discharge disposition. Excel software and R software version 4.3.2 were used to perform descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode and standard deviation), and inferential statistics (correlation analysis, chi-square test of independence, and logistic regression). Correlation analysis revealed no correlation between SMI and LLA, and a moderate correlation between diabetes and LLA. The chi-square test of independence revealed that there was a statistical significance between SMI and those with an LLA, SMI and those without an LLA, as well as PAD and SMI. Logistic regression revealed a statistical significance between diabetes and LLA, and no statistical significance between LLA and SMI. A higher percentage, or prevalence, of SMI was noted in the group of people with LLA compared with those who did not have an LLA, although this was not deemed statistically significant. Key recommendations after completion of this study include the

  following: 1) further mental health assessment, starting with depression screening, in individuals who present to acute or primary care settings with symptoms of PAD, 2) increased screening of females who present with symptoms of PAD or risk factors as well as further research on females living with PAD and SMI, 3) further research in understanding mental illness reporting in younger and older adults, 4) repeating this study across every Canadian province and territory, and 5) further research to understand rates of SMI pre and post operatively from an LLA to understand more about a potential causative relationship. This work provides the foundation for further research to be carried out amongst this population, specifically the lived experiences of individuals who live with PAD and a mental illness.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • mental health
  • peripheral arterial disease
  • lower limb amputation
  • serious mental illness
  • chronic disease

• Graduation date

  Spring 2024

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Nursing

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-465q-qn10

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.