Definition
“Body image” is a multidimensional construct and refers to a person’s perceptions, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, in relation to their body (Grogan 2008). This encompasses the body’s functions and capabilities, in addition to its appearance.
Description
An altered appearance, or one considered different from the “norm,” can be a consequence of congenital conditions, injuries, disease, or treatments for disease. Some congenital conditions present appearance differences from birth, but their visibility may reduce over time following treatment. These include craniofacial irregularities (e.g., cleft lip and/or palate; Treacher Collins syndrome), vascular anomalies (e.g., hemangiomas; port-wine stains), and congenital limb defects (e.g., absence of a limb, fusion of fingers or toes). Other congenital...
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References and Further Reading
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Fingeret, M. C., Yuan, Y., Urbauer, D., Weston, J., Nipomnick, S., & Weber, R. (2012). The nature and extent of body image concerns among surgically treated patients with head and neck cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 21(8), 836–844. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.1990.
Fingeret, M. C., Teo, I., & Epner, D. E. (2014). Managing body image difficulties of adult cancer patients: Lessons from available research. Cancer, 120(5), 633–641. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.28469.
Grogan, S. (2008). Body image: Understanding body dissatisfaction in men, women and children. London: Routledge.
Hunt, O., Burden, D., Hepper, P., & Johnston, C. (2005). The psychosocial effects of cleft lip and palate: A systematic review. European Journal of Orthodontics, 27(3), 274–285. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejo/cji004.
Lehmann, V., Hagedoorn, M., & Tuinman, M. A. (2015). Body image in cancer survivors: A systematic review of case–control studies. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 9(2), 339–348. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-014-0414-y.
Norman, A., & Moss, T. P. (2015). Psychosocial interventions for adults with visible differences: A systematic review. PeerJ, 3, e870. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.870.
Rumsey, N., & Harcourt, D. (2011). Body image and congenital conditions resulting in visible difference. In T. F. Cash & L. Smolak (Eds.), Body image: A handbook of science, practice, and prevention (Vol. 1, 2nd ed., pp. 253–260). New York: Guilford Press.
Sherman, K. A., Woon, S., French, J., & Elder, E. (2017). Body image and psychological distress in nipple-sparing mastectomy: The roles of self-compassion and appearance investment. Psycho-Oncology, 26, 337–345. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.4138.
Sherman, K. A., Przezdziecki, A., Alcorso, J., Kilby, C. J., Elder, E., Boyages, J., … Mackie, H. (2018). Reducing body image-related distress in women with breast cancer using a structured online writing exercise: Results from the My Changed Body randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 36(19), 1930–1940. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2017.76.3318.
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Lewis-Smith, H., Sherman, K. (2020). Body Image and Appearance-Altering Conditions. In: Gellman, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_102007-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_102007-1
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