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Citation |
Thombs BD, Notes LD, Lawrence JW, Magyar-Russell G, Bresnick MG, Fauerbach JA. J. Psychosom. Res. 2008; 64(2): 205-212. |
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Affiliation |
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. brett.thombs@mcgill.ca |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2008, Elsevier Publishing) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
18222134 |
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Abstract |
OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the course of body image dissatisfaction following disfiguring injury or illness. The objective of this study was to test a proposed framework for understanding the trajectory of body image dissatisfaction among burn survivors and to longitudinally investigate the role of body image in overall psychosocial functioning. METHODS: A sample of 79 survivors of severe burn injuries completed the Satisfaction with Appearance Scale (SWAP), the Importance of Appearance subscale of the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, and the SF-36 in the hospital and at 6 and 12 months postdischarge (SWAP and SF-36). A repeated-measures analysis of covariance model was used to assess the course of body image dissatisfaction over time, and a path analysis model tested the role of body image dissatisfaction in mediating the relationship between preburn and postburn psychosocial functioning. RESULTS: Female sex (P<.05), total body surface area burned (P<.01), and importance of appearance (P<.01) predicted body image dissatisfaction. From hospitalization to 12 months postdischarge, body image dissatisfaction increased for women (P<.01) and individuals with larger burns (P<.01) compared, respectively, to men and individuals with smaller burns. In the path analysis, body image dissatisfaction was the most salient predictor of psychosocial function at 12 months (beta=.53, P<.01) and mediated the relationship between preburn and 12-month psychosocial function. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study suggest the importance of routine psychological screening for body image distress during hospitalization and after discharge. Language: en |