title: Impaired body image of young female survivors of childhood leukemia.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the body image of young female survivors of leukemia. Young female survivors of leukemia (n = 42) were compared with healthy age-matched control subjects (n = 69). The study included a semistructured face-to-face interview and a psychological test. The data were separated into three distinct evaluations of each subject's body image: 1) the subject's self-assessment, 2) evaluation by a psychiatrist, and 3) the Rorschach test. The body images of the survivors were inferior to those of the control subjects in all three evaluations (P < 0.001). The preceding leukemia was assessed still as extremely threatening in 26% of the survivors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Puukko
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hirvonen
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aalberg
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hovi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rautonen
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Siimes
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010553:Personality Development; D012074:Remission Induction; D012803:Sick Role