Understandings and experiences of visible difference and romantic relationships: A qualitative exploration

Sharratt, Nicholas; Jenkinson, Elizabeth; Moss, Timothy; Clarke, Alex; Rumsey, Nichola

doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.08.002

Cited by 27 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…[31][32][33] Contributors also reported facing stigma relating to baldness (Theme 2), which supports other tentative, qualitative research that baldness can be experienced as distressing and as something that is stigmatised. 14,15,34 It also concurs with research showing a critical aspect of the masculine appearance ideal includes a full head of hair. 3,4…”

Section: Baldness Distress and Baldness Stigmasupporting

confidence: 73%

“Just Shave It Off”

Jankowski

Sherwin

Deighton-Smith

et al. 2021

International Journal of Men's Social and Community Health

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IntroductionHead hair comprises a critical part of the male appearance ideal, which itself is a crucial signifier of a man’s masculinity. However, difficulties in recruitment have meant that research has not yet fully explored how men construct the loss of head hair (baldness), perhaps because it is considered “feminine” to disclose body dissatisfaction experiences to a researcher or other people. Methods and DesignOnline forums provide an opportunity for the anonymous discussion of body dissatisfaction that may overcome this obstacle. The first 260 forums posts from the two most popular baldness forums were thematically analysed. Ethics StatementInstitutional ethics approval was granted. Results and DiscussionWe identified three themes titled: (1) Baldness is an ugly and demasculinising condition, (2) Baldness is stigmatised by a superficial society and superficial women and (3) Resistance to baldness despair. Our findings show baldness distress, and stigma exist though so does resistance, which can be comforting to men experiencing baldness or any form of body dissatisfaction. Conclusion and ImplicationsOnline forums are a salient resource to enhance our understanding of men’s balding concerns and disclosure barriers. Independent, professional and effective baldness support that unpacks baldness masculinised and medicalised framing is recommended.

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Section: Baldness Distress and Baldness Stigmasupporting

confidence: 73%

“Just Shave It Off”

Jankowski

Sherwin

Deighton-Smith

et al. 2021

International Journal of Men's Social and Community Health

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“…Participants spoke of concerns about disclosing their microtia in various situations. Revealing it to romantic partners was particularly pertinent due to fears of negative judgment and reactions, mirroring findings by Sharratt et al (2018) who explored the experiences of romantic relationships with 22 adults with a range of visible differences, including those that can often be concealed (eg, alopecia). Taken together, these findings suggest that those with microtia may benefit from guidance and support around disclosing their difference when developing romantic relationships.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…This suggests that those who undergo ear reconstruction may struggle to overcome existing confidence issues and that surgery is not necessarily a “quick fix” or remedy. The fear of being judged negatively by others is often found in individuals with visible differences, whether or not the difference can be concealed (Newell and Marks, 2000; Sharratt et al, 2018). In addition, concealing ears with hair appeared to be an ingrained coping mechanism that had been performed for many years to avoid unwanted attention and may have been hard to eradicate, despite being satisfied with reconstruction.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, this sample comprised mostly of females, meaning the male perspective was underrepresented, despite microtia being 20% to 40% more prevalent in males (Luquetti et al, 2012). Future studies should consider how to reach and engage more men in visible difference research, as they are often underrepresented (eg, Egan et al, 2011; Sharratt et al, 2018; Stock et al, 2019; Zucchelli et al, 2020).…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring the Experiences of Adults With Microtia: A Qualitative Study

Hamlet

Harcourt

2020

The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal

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Objective: Microtia is a medically complex condition, with the option of surgery to address hearing and reconstruct the ear. The current study explored adults’ experiences of microtia, with a particular focus on the psychosocial impact and experiences of ear reconstruction. The ultimate aim was to identify areas for support and future research that could improve patient care. Design: Fifteen adults (12 females) aged between 20 and 62 years took part in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes were identified in the data: microtia as an invisible difference, surgery as a welcome opportunity, and living well with microtia. Participants had incorporated microtia into their self-concept and did not report a lasting negative impact on their lives. However, some psychosocial challenges were reported, including anxiety about showing their ears (even after reconstruction), disclosing their diagnosis to romantic partners, surgical decision-making, and feeling unsupported in the work environment. Conclusion: Individuals with microtia may benefit from psychosocial interventions to increase confidence, access to support for treatment decision-making, and guidance around disclosing microtia to employers.

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“…Additionally, research has yet to explore the lived experience of one-to-one psychological interventions (of any kind) for this population, using qualitative methods, which would offer a richer understanding of the processes that play out for patients. Qualitative methods have been employed to illuminate the complexities of issues pertaining to this group, including intimacy and romantic relationships in adults with a range of appearance-affecting conditions (Sharratt, Jenkinson, Moss, Clarke, & Rumsey, 2018), psychological adjustment in alopecia (Welsh & Guy, 2009), adult acne (Murray & Rhodes, 2005) and vitiligo (Thompson, Kent, & Smith, 2002), and body concealment in women following cancer treatment (Grogan, Mechan, Persson, Finlay, & Hall, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patients’ Experiences of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-Based Approach for Psychosocial Difficulties Relating to an Appearance-Affecting Condition

Zucchelli¹,

Donnelly²,

Sharratt³

et al. 2021

The European Journal of Counselling Psychology

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Some individuals with appearance-affecting conditions experience psychosocial challenges such as social anxiety and avoidance. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may offer a suitable approach for these challenges. This qualitative study investigated the lived experiences of patients with such appearance-related concerns, who had been through a one-to-one ACT-based intervention. It was expected that this would offer insights into the processes underpinning any positive impacts of therapy, potentially including ACT-specific elements. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six female patients of a specialist clinical psychology service, where an appearance-focused ACT-based intervention was delivered. Participants described their experiences of therapy, any impact it had on their lives, and to what they attributed any changes. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, a qualitative method suited to exploring individuals' lived experiences, was used. Four superordinate themes included: Progress in body confidence, developing ways to take control over (re)action, developing acceptance of appearance, and compassion. These processes emanated from the participants' relationship with the treating psychologist, as well as specific skills used in sessions, and were enacted through participants' engagement in life-fulfilling activities. One-to-one ACT-based therapy appeared to help expedite the process of accepting a changed appearance, which participants highlighted as an important step in adjusting to their appearance. Participants' account of their improved body confidence can be understood in terms of an existing model of body image coping, offering a theoretical framework worthy of exploration in relation to ACT processes for this population. Participants' accounts also convey the centrality of therapists expressing compassion and helping patients to cultivate self-compassion.

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Understandings and experiences of visible difference and romantic relationships: A qualitative exploration

Cited by 27 publications

References 51 publications

“Just Shave It Off”

“Just Shave It Off”

Exploring the Experiences of Adults With Microtia: A Qualitative Study

Patients’ Experiences of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-Based Approach for Psychosocial Difficulties Relating to an Appearance-Affecting Condition

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