| Description |
This dissertation is presented in a three-article format. Article 1, "The impact of disability on body esteem: A review of the literature," is a review that examines the existing literature regarding body esteem in individuals with various disabilities. The purpose of the article was to highlight principal findings and identify areas that require further research. Article 2 is entitled, "Qualitative research contributions to military post combat transition and reintegration: A review of the literature." The purpose of this review was to examine the existing qualitative literature regarding military postcombat transition and reintegration. Four categories were identified, which included (1) psychosocial adjustment and coping; (2) physical disability adjustment; (3) protective factors; and (4) transition challenges. Several themes were also distinguished within each category. Article 3, "A qualitative study of military veterans' resilience and body esteem following combat-related limb amputation," included semistructured interviews with six former service members who had sustained a military combat-related limb amputation, and their spouses. Semistructured interviews provided an opportunity to explore the resilience and body esteem of each amputee, as well as the views of the respective spouses. The Metatheory of Resilience and Resiliency was utilized to guide content analysis of the interviews. Open, axial, and selective coding were used to analyze the data. |
