An Investigation of Psychosocial Aspects of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: Adolescent and Parent Perspectives

This thesis presents a multimethod programme of research that aimed to further current understanding of psychosocial aspects of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, a paediatric spinal condition characterized by a sideways curvature of the spine. The first study comprised a qualitative exploration into adolescents’ experiences of living with idiopathic scoliosis at the presurgical stage of treatment (N = 14). Four key themes were developed, including “Proceeding with Caution,” “Am I Different?” “An Emotional Journey,” and “No Pain, No Gain.” The second study examined the contribution of psychosocial processes to variation in health-related quality of life and body image outcomes among adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (N = 115). Findings demonstrated that coping strategies were significantly associated with health-related quality of life among this patient group, and several appearance-related cognitions were significantly associated with body image satisfaction and disturbance. The third study comprised a systematic review and synthesis of the literature pertaining to parents’ information needs, treatment concerns, and psychological wellbeing in the context of their child’s adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The fourth and final study was a qualitative exploration of parents’ experiences in relation to their child’s idiopathic scoliosis from diagnosis to presurgical preparation (N = 20), which resulted in three main themes including “Fear of the Unknown,” “Maintaining Normality,” and “Navigating the Patient Pathway.” Together, these studies make a number of significant contributions to the literature on psychosocial aspects of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, and provide implications for research and practice in line with a patient and family-centered approach.