No / Vitiligo is a visible condition that is more noticeable in darker-skinned
people. Beliefs about illness have been linked to psychosocial adjustment. There
is some evidence that such beliefs may be influenced by cultural factors. Surprisingly
little is known about beliefs in relation to vitiligo.
Objectives The study sought to explore in depth the ways in which British Asian
women manage and adjust psychosocially to vitiligo, and the potential role of
ethnicity and culture in this process.
Methods In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with seven British
women of South Asian decent and analysed using the qualitative method of
template analysis.
Results Participants described feeling visibly different and all had experienced stigmatization
to some extent. Avoidance and concealment were commonplace.
Experiences of stigmatization were often perceived to be associated with cultural
values related to appearance, status, and myths linked to the cause of the condition.
Conclusions The findings of this study present a unique in-depth analysis of British
South Asians living with vitiligo and suggest there is a need for further research
to explore cultural associations of disfigurement and of adjustment to chronic
skin conditions. Furthermore, they suggest that in addition to individual
therapeutic interventions there may be a need for community interventions aimed
at dispelling myths and raising awareness of sources of support and treatment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/4515 |
| Date | 01 September 2010 |
| Creators | Thompson, A.R., Clarke, S.A., Newell, Robert J., Gawkrodger, D.J., Appearance Research Collaboration |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Article, No full-text in the repository |
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