Addressing psychosocial concerns should become part of the care routinely given to stoma patients. We recommend more emphasis on dispelling negative thoughts and encouraging social interactions.

The OAI-23 is a valid and reliable measure of psychosocial adjustment that will be of interest to both researchers investigating life after stoma surgery and clinicians making objective assessments of their patients' progress.

No abstract

Psychosocial functioning differed in British and Japanese persons with an ostomy, suggesting that culture influences psychosocial adjustment to life with an ostomy. These findings support the need for culturally informed ostomy care.