Illness Perception and Social Appearance Anxiety as Predictors of Self-Stigma of Seeking Psychological Help among Short-Statured Girls

Abstract

Miniature height is a prominent physical trait which could draw social judgment; however, research into how short women perceive seeking therapy is scarce. The present research examined the role of illness perception and social appearance anxiety in predicting self-stigma towards therapy among short women. The research adopted a cross-sectional correlation research design. Subjects were women aged 18-25 with height below 150 cm and were recruited from both educational and public institutions in Gujranwala (N = 298). Data were collected using three surveys: Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, Social Appearance Anxiety Scale, and Self-Stigma of Seeking Psychological Help Scale. The results of the study show that all three studied variables are significantly connected (r = .52 to .71, p < .001). The three factors taken together explain 43.8% of the variance (F(2, 294) = 114.48, p < .001). It is noteworthy that social appearance anxiety is a statistically significant factor (β = .58, p < .001) while illness perception cannot be considered a unique statistically significant predictor of self-stigmatization. The research shows that the belief in being judged based on appearance is linked to the idea that getting psychological help diminishes one’s self-esteem among short women. Therefore, there is a need for psychological support programs addressing fear of appearance while helping in seeking assistance. Given that the study had a cross-sectional design, it is not possible to derive causal conclusions.