A study on the interaction for patients whose body image has been altered by surgery, and their families

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Stomas, which are associated with surgically created changes in the excretory system and patients' appearance can become a cause of stress for patients and their families. The family is a system of several individuals held together by mutual binding. If one member of a family has a problem, it may become a problem for the entire family and may create a crisis, To elucidate differences in the perception of the stoma by stoma bearers and their families, and to investigate the influence of stomas on family relationships, we sent questionnaires to a total of 114 subjects, consisting of 57 patients who had permanent stomas created within the preceding 3 years (stoma bearers) and 57 family members.1. A difference was noted in the perception of the stoma bearers and their spouses concerning their conjugal relationship. The stoma bearers were found to feel that they could not fulfill their sexual role adequately, and to have a sense of resignation regarding their relationship with their family … More . Family members in the younger generation were found to feel antipathy toward their conjugal relationship. Those in the older generation were found to be satisfied despite the lack of sexual relations, and to have a sense of resignation.2. Negative images held by the stoma bearers were associated with psychological pain when they looked at the stoma, disappointment about having a stoma, a desire to keep the stoma a secret, the sense of burden of having to manage the stoma, and a sense of failure to appropriately respond to their spouse's love, On the other hand, negative images held by family members included anxiety about how to go about their daily lives, a desire to keep the stoma a secret, feelings of inferiority, feelings of alienation, feelings that their daily life was restricted, antipathy toward their conjugal relationship, and dissatisfaction with their conjugal relationship. Reactions to the stoma were found to differ between the stoma bearers and their families. While the stoma bearers responded to their stomas, the reactions of family members tended to focus on the family relationship and daily living.3. A review of the actions the stoma bearers and their families took in order to cope with the stoma revealed that half of the respondents coped with the problem within their family, while a half of the respondents sought measures to cope with the problem outside of their family. The actions they took were found to be similar. Less