With the support of the UK Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA UK), trainee psychologist Jacob Pendrey, at Cardiff University in Wales, conducted a study exploring how pulmonary hypertension affects self-image — and the findings are both striking and important.
Pulmonary hypertension is known to alter daily life not only through physical limitations, but through profound social and emotional changes too. Jacob’s research, which formed the basis of his doctoral thesis at Cardiff University, examined how these changes shape the way people with pulmonary hypertension see themselves, their identity, their roles, and their sense of worth
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The study had two parts. The first one consisted of a review of 25 existing pieces of research, which confirmed that pulmonary hypertension can lead to feelings of low self-confidence, shame, and social withdrawal, highlighting why emotional and psychological support matters just as much as medical treatment.
In the second part, Jacob conducted one-to-one interviews with 13 members of the association, using a creative method called “photo elicitation” — asking participants to submit photographs representing their lived experience of pulmonary hypertension. The interviews revealed a common disruption to self-image and identity, but also showed that acceptance and resilience can help protect a person’s sense of self over time.
One key takeaway is that psychological support — offered early and consistently — could help people with pulmonary hypertension feel less defined by their illness. Training healthcare professionals to understand this dimension of long-term condition management may be an important step forward.
Jacob is now working to publish the findings in academic journals, with the hope that self-image becomes more widely recognised as a meaningful dimension of pulmonary hypertension care.
Read more on EMPHASIS, the PHA UK’s magazine at this link at pages 12-13