Body image disturbance in adults treated for cancer – a concept analysis

Rhoten, Bethany A.

doi:10.1111/jan.12892

Cited by 52 publications

(60 citation statements)

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“…The concept analysis of body image disturbance in adults treated for cancer identified three defining attributes: a self-perception of change in appearance and displeasure with the change or perceived change in appearance; a decline in an area of function; and psychological distress regarding changes in appearance and/or function. Body image disturbance could manifest itself via depressive symptoms, social anxiety, social avoidance, and social isolation (Rhoten, 2016). The presence of one or more of these referents could indicate that an individual needed further body image assessment.…”

Section: Conceptual Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A goal of the concept analysis, according to Walker and Avant's (2011) method, was to reduce conflation of body image disturbance with disfigurement; not all who experienced disfigurement would experience body image disturbance (Rhoten, 2016). Body image disturbance in patients treated for cancer was a multidimensional experience that did not hinge solely on changed appearance but rather on the individual's reaction to perception of a changed appearance and decline in function (Rhoten, 2016). Because of the way they felt about their appearance and changed level of function, individuals in this population who experienced body image disturbance could become socially isolated from peers and family members, making employment and normal socialization impossible (Rhoten, 2016).…”

Section: Conceptual Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conceptual Issues Surrounding Body Image for Oncology Nurses

Rhoten

2017

ONF

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Cancer and its treatment can uniquely influence survivors' body image. Oncology nurses should understand how this quality-of-life issue can affect patients. To better understand the body image experiences of patients with cancer, this article will present a historic overview of body image conceptualization, as well as a more contemporary, cancer-specific approach to understanding how this population of patients may be particularly affected.

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Section: Conceptual Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Conceptual Issues Surrounding Body Image for Oncology Nurses

Rhoten

2017

ONF

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“…For example, established cognitive behavioural perspectives have been adapted for cancer patients, foregrounding psychological assessments of body image disruption. Other models, designed for use in clinical practice, acknowledge self‐perceived appearance change but emphasise different aspects, such as decreased physical and social functioning . Price includes the concept of an ideal body, influenced by sociocultural factors, and Fingeret presents a comprehensive management model, embracing treatment‐related bodily changes and psychosocial difficulties.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New challenges in psycho‐oncology: An embodied approach to body image

Hopwood

2018

Psycho-Oncology

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KEYWORDS body image, cancer, embodiment, treatment effects, quality of life 1 | INTRODUCTION Physical appearance and the image of the human body have long been relevant in a wide variety of clinical settings in medicine. 1-3 The concept of body image is of particular importance to oncology, as all types of cancer and its treatment have some impact on it. 4-7Body image has obvious connotations of physical appearance. However, it is complex, with multiple aspects that have important but not always obvious, connections with cancers and their treatment problems arising from bodily changes. This presents a challenge in research and clinical care. Breast cancer has been the most widely investigated cancer in empirical research in psycho-oncology, [8][9][10][11] and findings show that impaired body image can have marked negative and potential long-term effects on psychological adjustment and quality of life. However, body image outcomes and treatment effects on the body are often reported separately in quality of life outcomes. We suggest this division is problematic and the challenge is to work with a coherent framework that demonstrates interrelated body image and body changes.Defining body image has proved elusive, but it can be approached in different ways. For example, established cognitive behavioural perspectives 12 have been adapted for cancer patients, 13 foregrounding psychological assessments of body image disruption. Other models, designed for use in clinical practice, acknowledge self-perceived appearance change but emphasise different aspects, such as decreased physical and social functioning. 14 Price includes the concept of an ideal body, influenced by sociocultural factors, 15 and Fingeret 16 presents a comprehensive management model, embracing treatmentrelated bodily changes and psychosocial difficulties.We argue that body image reflects alterations in appearance and bodily changes and functioning. We uphold a view that body image is used to describe all the ways people conceptualise and experience their body and to acknowledge the social as well as the physical reality of the body. 17 We refer to this as "embodied body image."Links to the physical body are not new, having been proposed by Schilder in 1950, 18 and are widely reported in psycho-oncology literature. 6,8,16,[19][20][21][22] However, these complexities have not been fully theorised. The challenge is to understand the subjective, changing nature of body image and incorporate important connections to the altered body and social context.In order to meet this challenge, we propose a coherent basis for understanding embodied body image in cancer patients. We present a distinctive framework rooted in social theory that embraces both appearance changes and the physical body in everyday life and activities. Taking a social practice perspective helps to go beyond the objective clinical setting and into patients' lived experiences of cancer (that is, their everyday experience of living with and beyond cancer, the choices they make, and the knowledg...

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“…In a recent report and analysis, Rhoten examined the concept of ‘body image disturbances’ in the context of cancer. She identified three relevant attributes of body image disturbance: (1) self-perception of a change in appearance and displeasure with the change or perceived change in appearance; (2) decline in an area of function; and (3) psychological distress regarding changes in appearance and/or function 12 . In line with these attributes, others have stressed that body image is a multidimensional construct, including elements such as perceptions, feelings, and attitudes toward the body, with body image disturbances being highly prevalent in cancer patients 10 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A case series report of cancer patients undergoing group body psychotherapy

2017

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Background: Disturbances in bodily wellbeing represent a key source of psychosocial suffering and impairment related to cancer. Therefore, interventions to improve bodily wellbeing in post-treatment cancer patients are of paramount importance. Notably, body psychotherapy (BPT) has been shown to improve bodily wellbeing in subjects suffering from a variety of mental disorders. However, how post-treatment cancer patients perceive and subjectively react to group BPT aiming at improving bodily disturbances has, to the best of our knowledge, not yet been described. Methods: We report on six patients undergoing outpatient group BPT that followed oncological treatment for malignant neoplasms. The BPT consisted of six sessions based on a scientific embodiment approach, integrating body-oriented techniques to improve patients’ awareness, perception, acceptance, and expression regarding their body. Results: The BPT was well accepted by all patients. Despite having undergone different types of oncological treatment for different cancer types and locations, all subjects reported having appreciated BPT and improved how they perceived their bodies. However, individual descriptions of improvements showed substantial heterogeneity across subjects. Notably, most patients indicated that sensations, perceptions, and other mental activities related to their own body intensified when proceeding through the group BPT sessions. Conclusion: The findings from this case series encourage and inform future studies examining whether group BPT is efficacious in post-treatment cancer patients and investigating the related mechanisms of action. The observed heterogeneity in individual descriptions of perceived treatment effects point to the need for selecting comprehensive indicators of changes in disturbances of bodily wellbeing as the primary patient-reported outcome in future clinical trials. While increases in mental activities related to their own body are commonly interpreted as important mechanisms of therapeutic action in BPT, follow-up assessments are needed to evaluate intended and unintended consequences of these changes in cancer patients.

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Body image disturbance in adults treated for cancer – a concept analysis

Cited by 52 publications

References 51 publications

Conceptual Issues Surrounding Body Image for Oncology Nurses

Conceptual Issues Surrounding Body Image for Oncology Nurses

New challenges in psycho‐oncology: An embodied approach to body image

A case series report of cancer patients undergoing group body psychotherapy

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