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Finally, participants spoke very positively about the benefits of support, in particular being able
to talk to someone who had shared similar experiences. Having found this beneficial had
prompted them to share their own positive experiences with others (see above).
DISCUSSION
These qualitative data offer insight into the experiences of adults who perceive their visible
difference to have led to positive consequences, including becoming resourceful, more resilient,
being able to cope with other challenges in their lives and having a different outlook on life.
The findings support previous research within the visible difference and wider health psychology
literature. Specifically, that positive consequences including resilience, strength and an
increased sense of well-being stemmed from: placing less importance on appearance, positive
perceptions of social support (Rumsey et al., 2004); humour and determination (Meyerson
2001); benefits of positive emotions (Tugade and Fredrickson 2004); downward social
comparisons (Festinger 1954); searching for meaning (Taylor 1984); being open to faith,
spirituality and religion (Sodergren and Hyland 2000; Meyerson 2001); and helping others
(Roberts et al 1999). The emphasis on cognitive processing is striking and is consistent with the
findings of Study 1.
Many participants displayed attitudes of acceptance, choosing not to question why they had
their visible difference. They conveyed a sense that everyone is susceptible to adversity and
they did not feel they should be any different.
Whilst all participants in this study felt that they now accepted their visible difference, this had
not always been the case. Their accounts demonstrate how experiences of a visible difference
can change over time and have illustrated a variety of cognitions and behaviours that they
perceive to have played a part in their adjustment over time.
Implications for provision of care
The findings of this study can contribute to informing the further development of interventions,
for example, the need to focus on cognitive processing, including strategies to encourage
individuals to identify positive consequences and not to attribute other problems to their visible
difference.
Implications for research
Focus groups produced rich data which benefited from participants’ interaction with one another
but it is important to acknowledge the logistical difficulties encountered, which necessitated
some individual interviews being carried out and resulted in a relatively small sample size.
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