The Psychosocial Impact of Primary Lymphoedema.

This article reviews the literature on the psychosocial impact of non-cancer related lymphoedema. Relevant articles were obtained through database searches, although only a limited number of articles investigated psychological or social factors. Overall, the following psychological factors appeared to be relevant for patients with lymphoedema: body image, mobility, relationship problems, anger, anxiety and depression, although the prevalence and extent of problems pertaining to these factors is not known. Psychosocial factors appear to be under-represented in research to date, suggesting that this needs to be the focus of further work to ensure that these key issues are addressed appropriately in practice.