Body image and self-esteem in somatizing patients: Regular article

PubMed ID: 19531108Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine dissatisfaction with body appearance and bodily functions and to assess self-esteem in somatizing patients. Methods: Body image and self-esteem were investigated in 128 women; 34 of those had diagnosed somatoform disorders, 50 were breast cancer patients with total mastectomy surgery alone, and 44 were healthy subjects. Body image and self-esteem were assessed using the Body Cathexis Scale and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results: The two clinical groups did not differ from one another (z = -1.832, P = 0.067), but differed from healthy controls in terms of body image (somatizing patients vs healthy controls, z = -3.628, P < 0.001; total mastectomy patients vs healthy controls, z = -3.172, P = 0.002). They also did not differ significantly in terms of self-esteem (z = -0.936, P = 0.349) when depressive symptoms were controlled. No statistically significant difference was observed between total mastectomy patients and healthy controls in terms of self-esteem (z = -1.727, P = 0.084). The lower levels of self-esteem in somatizing patients were largely mediated by depressive symptoms. Depressed and non-depressed somatizing patients differed significantly from healthy controls with respect to their self-esteem and body image. Conclusions: Somatizing patients who were dissatisfied with their bodily functions and appearance had lower levels of self-esteem and high comorbidity of depression. In clinical practice it is suggested that clinicians should take into account psychiatric comorbidity, self-esteem, and body image in somatizing patients when planning treatment approaches. © 2009 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology

Planning a social activity to improve psychological well-being and quality of life of hemodialysis patients: A pilot study

PubMed ID: 19695076We aimed to investigate the impact of social activity on anxiety-depression, self-esteem and quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Ninety-one patients were recruited to the current study. Of these, 31 patients wanted to take part in a theater play, while 60 patients (group C) did not. Thirty-one patients were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A (N = 15) started activities immediately and group B (N = 16) was assigned to a waiting list to be included in the activity of theater acting four months later. Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale short form (WHOQOL-BREF) were used to compare psychological parameters and quality of life of the groups before and after the social activity. The patients who were younger, more literate, and wealthier, had longer disease duration, and who were feeling physically and psychologically well, were willing to participate in social activity. The impact of social activity was evaluated between group A and C. After the social activity, there were significant differences in terms of depression (P = 0.008), self-esteem (P = 0.003), and physical (P = 0.04) and psychological (P = 0.05) sub-dimensions of quality of life between the groups. The depression score of the patients in group A decreased while their self-esteem increased, but the increase in the physical and psychological sub-dimension scores of quality of life scale did not reach statistical significance. This pilot study showed that social activity primarily improved depression and self-esteem in hemodialysis patients. © 2009 International Society for Apheresis