Session Information
Session Type: Abstract Submissions (ARHP)
Background/Purpose: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a progressive, autoimmune disease with no known cure. It is related to a wide spectrum of adverse health outcomes including marked appearance changes (AC), particularly on the face, mouth, and hands. Despite the prevalence of AC among SSc patients, dissatisfaction with appearance is relatively unexplored in this group. Given that disease-related disfigurement can be unpredictable and uncontrollable, there is reason to hypothesize that AC may be associated with feelings of helplessness. Further, as there are personal (i.e., body image) and interpersonal (i.e., social relationships) aspects to AC, both were examined as correlates of helplessness. The present study examined the relationship between satisfaction with appearance and helplessness in patients with SSc
Methods: As part of the UCLA Quality of Life (QOL) Study, a sample of patients (N = 191) completed the Brief Satisfaction With Appearance Scale (Brief-SWAP) and the Arthritis Helplessness Index (AHI). The Brief-SWAP is a self-report measure comprised of two positively correlated subscales evaluating Dissatisfaction with Appearance and Social Discomfort. The AHI is a self-report measure designed to capture perceived loss of control among arthritic patients, and is comprised of two negatively correlated subscales – Internality and Helplessness.
Results:
Hierarchical linear regression was utilized to examine the relationship between the Brief-SWAP and the AHI in two separate models controlling for disease severity using the modified Rodnan Skin Score. A significant main effect (p = .009) was found for social discomfort (e.g., comfort in the presence of strangers) as a statistical predictor of helplessness (e.g., my arthritis is controlling my life), such that greater social discomfort due to SSc-related AC was associated with greater feelings of helplessness. Dissatisfaction with appearance was not a significant predictor (p > .05) of helplessness. In the model predicting internality, neither social discomfort nor subjective dissatisfaction with appearance demonstrated significant main effects (p > .05) after controlling for disease severity. Age (M = 53.8; SD = 14.8) was examined as a potential moderator in both models, but no significant interaction effects were found.
Conclusion: Given the extent of AC among SSc patients, this is an area that deserves greater study in order to increase understanding of the spectrum of outcomes associated with body disfigurement. A limitation of this study is that the variance in age in the present sample was limited and may have precluded finding a significant age interaction effect. These findings suggest that social distress due to disease-related AC is associated with greater feelings of helplessness among SSc patients, while dissatisfaction with appearance is not. The findings further suggest that neither social distress nor dissatisfaction with appearance is associated with internality.
Disclosure:
S. Gholizadeh,
None;
S. D. Mills,
None;
R. M. Sobel-Fox,
None;
P. J. Clements,
None;
S. Kafaja,
None;
V. L. Malcarne,
None;
D. Khanna,
NIH,
2,
Scleroderma Foundation,
2,
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US,
5,
Actelion Pharmaceuticals US,
8,
Gilead,
5,
United Therapeutics,
5,
United Therapeutics,
8,
Roche Pharmaceuticals,
5,
BMS,
5,
DIGNA,
5,
Merck Pharmaceuticals,
5;
D. Furst,
Abbott, Actelion, Amgen, BMS, Gilead, GSK, NIH, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche/Genentech, UCB,
2,
Abbott, Actelion, Amgen, BMS, Janssen, Gilead, GSK, NIH, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche/Genentech, UCB,
5,
Abbott, Actelion, UCB,
8.
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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/appearance-dissatisfaction-social-discomfort-and-helplessness-in-patients-with-systemic-sclerosis/