Boosting Strategies: Enhancing the Self-Esteem of Individuals With Catastrophic Illnesses and Injuries

This qualitative study used grounded theory methods to determine how individuals were able to live with catastrophic illnesses and injuries. Twenty-eight participants were interviewed for stories of how they endured their circumstances. Although several strategies were used, this article describes a strategy entitled "boosting," which outlines the affected individuals' efforts to improve their self-esteem, which helped them bear their circumstances. Boosting has some relationship to social comparison theory. Implications for nurses and the importance of awareness of this communication need for patients are discussed.