Appearance investment, coping strategies, and psychosocial adjustment in male patients with head and neck cancer

Abstract

Background: This study examined the interrelationships among two facets of appearance investment (self-evaluative salience and motivational salience), appearance-related coping strategies, and psychosocial adjustment in male patients with head and neck cancer following physical appearance changes.Methods: It adopted a cross-sectional design; 136 male patients with stage I–III head and neck cancer were recruited. Self-reported scales were used to assess physical appearance changes due to cancer surgery and treatment, appearance investment, coping strategies, psychological distress, and disease-specific quality of life. Data were analyzed using path analysis.Results: Results showed that self-evaluative salience was directly and negatively associated with psychosocial adjustment, and motivational salience was indirectly and positively associated with psychosocial adjustment through coping strategies of less avoidance and greater positive rational acceptance.Discussion: This study also provides important information regarding the possible pathways of appearance investment and coping strategies in the psychosocial adjustment of male patients with head and neck cancer.

Keywords:

• Appearance investment
• coping strategies
• psychological distress
• quality of life
• head and neck cancer
• male

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of the Head and Neck Oncology Team members, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Ethics statement

This study received ethical approval from the Chairperson of the Institutional Review Board at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan (ref. 201700750B0). All participants in this study provided written informed consent.

Author contributions

Pei-Chiung Tu designed the research questions, constructed the framework, performed data analysis, and wrote and revised the manuscript. Mu-Te Wang performed data curation and reviewed the manuscript.

Conflicts of interest statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no financial support for this article’s research, authorship, or publication.