Young people’s experience of limb difference and how this impacts their relationships with others

Fitzpatrick, Jen and Murray, Craig (2025) Young people’s experience of limb difference and how this impacts their relationships with others. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

The central focus of this thesis was to explore the experience of having limb difference for young people. It is comprised of a systematic literature review, research paper, and critical appraisal of the process. The systematic literature review brought together qualitative research in the experiences of coping and adapting for young people with limb difference. The results from 21 papers were synthesised using thematic synthesis and three themes were developed: ‘utilising connection and community’, ‘working with limb difference’, and ‘managing reactions and questions from others’. Findings highlighted the need for young people to develop coping and adapting skills for the social environment. This included how they use social support to bolster their wellbeing, practicing interactions and explaining limb difference to others, and managing their limb difference. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed alongside suggestions for future research. The research paper explored experiences of social interactions and relationships for young people with limb difference. Six participants were interviewed and data analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three themes were generated from the data: ‘functioning under the threat of others’ intrigue’, ‘being with others like me’, and ‘disability being seen over capability’. The findings demonstrated how the actions of others within social interactions can impact how a young person with limb difference perceives themselves, in terms of their appearance and ability. Findings are discussed in relation to the existing literature and implications for clinical practice. Finally, the critical appraisal includes the author’s reflections on the findings, the strengths and limitations of the papers, salient challenges encountered during the research process, methodology decision-making, clinical implications for this thesis, and directions for future research.