An investigation of body image disturbance, social appearance anxiety, self-esteem, and psychological resilience in Turkish adults with eczema

Abstract

Aims: This study aims to examine the relationship between body image disturbance, social appearance anxiety, self-esteem, and psychological resilience among individuals diagnosed with eczema (atopic dermatitis). Given the chronic and visible nature of eczema, it was hypothesised that body image disturbance would increase social appearance anxiety, negatively affect self-esteem, and negatively affect psychological resilience. Methods: The research was conducted using a cross-sectional correlational design with 186 adult participants clinically diagnosed with eczema. Data were collected through standardised Turkish versions of self-report instruments such as the Body Image Scale (BIS), Self-Esteem Rating Scale-Short Form (SERS-SF), Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), and Resilience Evaluation Scale (RES). Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27, including Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, and one-way ANOVA with Tukey and Games-Howell post-hoc tests. The significance level was set at p