Body image after mastectomy: a thematic analysis of younger women’s written accounts

Grogan, S ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7510-765X and Mechan, J ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8072-2051 (2017) Body image after mastectomy: a thematic analysis of younger women’s written accounts. Journal of Health Psychology, 22 (11). pp. 1480-1490. ISSN 1359-1053

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Abstract

This study investigated younger women’s body image after mastectomy. In all, 49 women, aged 29–53 years (mean age: 39 years) who had had bilateral (n = 8) or unilateral (n = 41) mastectomy responded to open-ended questions online. Inductive thematic analysis revealed that aesthetics were less important than survival between diagnosis and mastectomy. Following mastectomy, women negotiated new body identities. Treatment effects such as weight gain were significant concerns. However, impacts on body confidence varied, and some participants rejected mainstream body shape ideals and reported feeling proud of their scars. Implications for supporting younger women post-mastectomy, including promotion of body acceptance, are discussed.

Item Type:	Article
Peer-reviewed:	Yes
Date Deposited:	19 Apr 2016 09:19
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Additional Information:	This is an Author Final Copy of a paper accepted for publication in Journal of Health Psychology, published by Sage and copyright the Authors.
Divisions:	Faculties > Arts and Humanities
Subject terms:	body image, confidence, identity, mastectomy, thematic analysis, weight gain, Social Sciences, Psychology, Clinical, Psychology, body image, confidence, identity, mastectomy, thematic analysis, weight gain, QUALITY-OF-LIFE, BREAST-CANCER, SELF-EFFICACY, EXPERIENCES, Humans, Breast Neoplasms, Mastectomy, Body Image, Age Factors, Qualitative Research, Adult, Middle Aged, Female, body image, confidence, identity, mastectomy, thematic analysis, weight gain, Adult, Age Factors, Body Image, Breast Neoplasms, Female, Humans, Mastectomy, Middle Aged, Qualitative Research, 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy, 1701 Psychology, 1702 Cognitive Sciences, Public Health
Report number:	10.1177/1359105316630137
URI:	https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/605859
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105316630137
ISSN	1359-1053
e-ISSN	1461-7277

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