Centre for Appearance Research, University of the West of England.
Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Maastricht University.
J Consult Clin Psychol. 2018 Aug;86(8):666-676. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000317.
Negative body image is prevalent in women with rheumatoid arthritis and can affect other areas of well-being. Patients have expressed desire for body image to be addressed in treatment. Yet, it is not routinely addressed and no experimental intervention research has been conducted, until now. This randomized trial evaluated a brief online body image intervention for women with rheumatoid arthritis, with a focus on body functionality (everything the body is capable of doing) as the primary technique.
Women with rheumatoid arthritis and who wanted to feel better about their body (N = 84; M = 44.82) were randomized to the Expand Your Horizon intervention (comprising 3 writing exercises focusing on body functionality) or a waitlist control group. Primary outcomes concerned body image and secondary outcomes related to rheumatoid arthritis; these outcomes were assessed at pretest, posttest, and at 1-week and 1-month follow-up.
Multilevel modeling analyses showed that, relative to control, participants in the intervention experienced improvements in various aspects of body image (functionality appreciation, body appreciation, body satisfaction, body-self alienation) and decreases in depression, with effects persisting at 1-week and 1-month follow-up. No intervention effects were found for body-self harmony, rheumatoid arthritis-specific disability, pain-related disability, and anxiety.
Focusing on body functionality can improve body image and reduce depression in women with rheumatoid arthritis. The intervention technique is easy and affordable to deliver and could be a fruitful addition to extant treatments for rheumatoid arthritis. (PsycINFO Database Record
负面的身体意象在类风湿关节炎女性中较为普遍，并可能影响其他幸福感领域。患者曾表示希望在治疗中解决身体意象问题。然而，目前还没有进行常规治疗，也没有进行过实验性干预研究。直到现在，一项随机试验评估了针对类风湿关节炎女性的简短在线身体意象干预措施，重点是身体功能（身体所能做的一切）作为主要技术。
希望改善身体形象的类风湿关节炎女性（N=84；M=44.82）被随机分配到拓展视野干预组（包括 3 项侧重于身体功能的写作练习）或候补对照组。主要结果是身体形象，次要结果与类风湿关节炎相关；这些结果在预测试、后测试以及 1 周和 1 个月随访时进行评估。
多层次建模分析表明，与对照组相比，干预组的参与者在身体形象的各个方面（功能欣赏、身体欣赏、身体满意度、身体自我异化）都有所改善，抑郁程度降低，且在 1 周和 1 个月随访时仍保持效果。干预对身体自我和谐、类风湿关节炎特异性残疾、疼痛相关残疾和焦虑没有影响。
关注身体功能可以改善类风湿关节炎女性的身体形象并减轻抑郁。干预技术简单且经济实惠，可作为类风湿关节炎现有治疗方法的有益补充。
