The Impact of Physical Disability on Body Esteem

The current study investigated the impact of physical disability on body esteem. A total of 35 people (18 males and 17 females) with physical disabilities between 19 to 60 years (mean = 38 years, SD = 10), participated in focus groups where they discussed their feelings about how their disability affected their body esteem. They also responded to a series of questions that were designed to examine disability-specific issues in body esteem using a four point Likert-type scale. The data demonstrated that the body esteem of the participants was commonly affected by physical disability. It also suggested that feedback from the social environment is a likely mediator of body esteem. Suggestions for future research and implications for clinicians are discussed.