Living with disfigurement

Body-image disturbance, as a consequence of disfigurement, affects a large number of people in the UK, yet there is little research into the psychosocial consequences. There is evidence that many of the psychological difficulties can be likened to phobic behaviour, particularly in social situations. A fear-avoidance model of psychosocial difficulties following disfigurement is, therefore, potentially useful to nurses working in a variety of settings. The first of two articles on disfigurement explores some of the background to the fear-avoidance model.