Psychosocial Experiences of Adults With Lower Limb Fracture in Ghana: A Qualitative Study

Patients’ psychosocial experiences vary and can influence their recovery. An insight into these experiences can facilitate patients’ perioperative care. This study explored and described the psychosocial experiences of adults aged 18 years and older with lower limb fractures. A qualitative exploratory, descriptive design was undertaken among 18 purposively sampled postoperative adults with lower limb fractures who had undergone surgery at a hospital in Ghana. Data were collected using semi-structured face-to-face individual interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The 2 main themes identified were altered psychological well-being and frightening experiences, and evolving social experiences among adults with lower limb fractures. The subthemes showed that the participants experienced fear, worry, and anxiety as well as social isolation, social role neglect, socioeconomic problems, and varying availability of social support. Participants’ fears, worries, and anxieties were related to the possible loss of their limbs, lives, livelihoods, and social support. Healthcare providers must incorporate holistic psychological and social care that enables adults with lower limb fractures to deal with injuries, their surgery, and the protracted recovery process postoperatively.