Body Image and Couples

Abstract: Body image concerns can create challenges in a cancer survivor’s partnered relationship, and aspects of this relationship can influence how a survivor copes with body image concerns. This chapter describes both research and clinical interventions focusing on couples experiencing body image distress associated with cancer and its treatment. First, the chapter reviews observational and couple-based intervention research relevant to the problem of body image distress and the partnered relationship. Next, it offers an overview of conceptual principles relevant to couple-based clinical approaches, focusing on the key concepts of mentalization and attachment narratives. Then it provides detailed guidance on approaches for the assessment, case formulation, and management of body image distress in a relational framework through case examples. Finally, it offers a summary and introduces questions to stimulate future work in this area, including how to best optimize, expand, and disseminate couple-based interventions addressing cancer-related body image concerns.