title: Body image as a predictor of psychopathology in surgical patients with colorectal disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to test the relevance of a cognitive behavioural model of body image in a prospective study of colorectal surgery patients and to determine if pre-existing body image disturbance influenced psychological adjustment following surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-seven adult consecutive colorectal surgery patients completed measures assessing psychopathology, body image related beliefs and health related quality of life during pre-admission for surgery using a questionnaire battery. Each participant was followed up three months after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depression and anxiety were positively correlated with body image disturbance and self evaluation at baseline. Those patients who went on to receive stomas experienced a significant deterioration in their body image that was not observed in those whose surgery did not result in the formation of a stoma. In the regression analysis, body image disturbance was a significant predictor of baseline levels of depression and emotional quality of life. Initial levels of body image disturbance remained a significant predictor of depression and anxiety at follow up assessment after medical variables and baseline levels of depression and anxiety, respectively, had been controlled for.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the hypothesis that pre-existing vulnerabilities in body image influence emotional adjustment during the recovery phase following surgery. Further research on screening for body image disturbance in surgical patients in order to promote adjustment is warranted.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Tracey L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Bullen
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sharpe
authors.forename: Catalina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lawsin
authors.forename: Deepa Chauhan
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Les
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bokey
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D003107:Colorectal Surgery / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D054047:Surgical Stomas / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires