Date of Award

7-8-2024

Publication Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Psychology

Keywords

Feminist Social Constructionism;Hidradenitis Suppurativa;Lived Experiences;Post-traumatic Growth;Reflexive Thematic Analysis;Resilience

Supervisor

Kendall Soucie

Abstract

Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, recurrent inflammatory skin disease, categorized by inflamed regions in follicular areas (i.e., hair follicles) located in the body (Jemec, 2012). Common psychological comorbidities include elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidality, as well as body image disturbances, poorer quality of life, and diminished self-esteem and self-worth as a result of symptom impacts (Chernyshov et al., 2021). Due to the increased incidence rate of HS in women, coupled with the societal and medical expectations surrounding women’s bodies, these comorbidities are even more prevalent for women (Sabat et al., 2020). The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of women diagnosed with HS by amplifying a more integrative, strength-based understanding of the condition. A total of 25 HS-diagnosed Canadian women (age range 20 to 63 years old; M = 36.16, SD = 10.61) were interviewed about the challenges they faced with HS and how they overcame them through strategies of resilience and meaning-making. Reflexive thematic analysis techniques (Braun & Clarke, 2019), situated with a feminist social constructionist lens, were employed to explore these accounts. We generated four major themes relating to how women reflected on their experiences living with HS, including (1) Developing Agency in the Diagnosis Journey, (2) Cultivating Methods to Cope, (3) Harnessing One’s Voice for Advocacy and Change, and (4) Gaining Insight and Growth Through Life-Long Learning. The findings from this study have direct implications for future research about HS, including considerations for how to improve the well-being and quality of life of this population through more active and advantageous strategies that can inform more holistic treatment practices (e.g., resilience-focused training and support groups).

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