Predictors of Mental Health in Adults with Congenital Craniofacial Conditions Attending the Australian Craniofacial Unit

Psychological and Physical Health Outcomes in Adults With Craniosynostosis

OBJECTIVES

Within current research, little is known about the long-term outcomes of craniosynostosis. A priority-setting exercise by UK charity Headlines Craniofacial Support identified 2 key questions in this area: (1) What are the long-term physical and psychological effects for individuals with syndromic and non-syndromic craniosynostosis? and (2) Are individuals with craniosynostosis likely to suffer from mental health difficulties, or are they more resilient? The aim of the current study was to conduct an initial investigation of these priority questions.

METHODS

A comprehensive UK-wide survey consisting of 9 standardized psychological outcome measures and open-ended questions was distributed online. Thirty-six eligible adults (69.4% female) with a mean age of 30.8 years responded to the survey. Participants reported having single suture craniosynostosis (27.8%) or syndromic craniosynostosis (52.8%), with 19.4% being unsure of their diagnosis. Sample means were compared to published norms using independent samples t tests. Qualitative responses were analysed using inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

Compared to the general population, participants reported significantly less favorable scores related to appearance concerns, attachment in adult relationships, anxiety, optimism, and resilience. Self-worth, depression, and social anxiety scores were similar to norms. Qualitative responses provided additional insight into participants' satisfaction with appearance, physical health, medical treatment, employment, relationships, and recurrence risks. Few participants had accessed psychological support.

DISCUSSION

This preliminary study illustrates the potential long-term implications for individuals with craniosynostosis. Improved treatment protocols are needed to address physical health concerns in adulthood, while dedicated psychological resources are necessary to promote emotional well-being, social confidence, and resilience.

Risk Factors for Facial Appearance Dissatisfaction Among Orthognathic Patients: Comparing Patients to a Non-Surgical Sample

This study conducted a cross-sectional investigation of facial appearance dissatisfaction between patients before undergoing orthognathic surgery and a non-surgical sample to evaluate the potential influencing factors of facial appearance dissatisfaction. A sample of 354 participants completed a set of questionnaires concerning facial appearance dissatisfaction, interpersonal pressure, media pressure, and fear of negative appearance evaluation (112 patients, 242 controls). The patients reported higher facial appearance dissatisfaction, more media pressure, more interpersonal pressure, and a greater fear of negative appearance evaluation among others than the control group. Moreover, regression analyses identified interpersonal pressure and fear of negative appearance evaluation as the main predictors of facial appearance dissatisfaction whether in the orthognathic patients or the control groups. The associations between the perceptions of interpersonal pressure, fear of negative appearance evaluation, and facial appearance dissatisfaction support the possible utility of strengthening social experiences and psychological intervention in preventing and treating these appearance-concerns, especially for the orthognathic patients.

Factors affecting subjective appearance evaluations among patients with congenital craniofacial conditions: An application of Cash's cognitive-behavioural model of body image development

Satisfaction with appearance is of central importance for psychological well-being and health. For individuals with an unusual appearance, such as congenital craniofacial anomalies (CFA), appearance evaluations could be especially important. However, few, if any papers have presented a comprehensive synthesis of the factors found to affect subjective satisfaction with appearance among children, adolescents, and adults born with a CFA. Further, only a handful of craniofacial studies have applied psychological theories or models to their findings, resulting in an overall lack of guidance for researchers in the field. This paper summarises the literature pertaining to satisfaction with appearance among those affected by CFAs, and examines the extent to which Cash's cognitive-behavioural model of body image development (2012) fits with this literature. Given the overlap between factors of interest in the field of CFAs, and in the area of body image more broadly, a closer collaboration between the two research fields is suggested.

Psychological adjustment to craniofacial conditions (excluding oral clefts): A review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

A congenital craniofacial anomaly (CFA) is expected to impact upon several domains of psychological, emotional and social functioning, yet no recent reviews have comprehensively summarised the available literature. Further, existing reviews tend to draw upon literature in the field of cleft lip and palate, and do not give substantive attention to other types of CFAs.

DESIGN

A review of 41 papers published between January 2000 and March 2016 pertaining to psychological adjustment to CFAs.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Findings are presented according to key psychological domains: General Psychological Well-being, Quality of Life, Behaviour, Emotional Well-being, Social Experiences, Appearance, and Treatment-Related Experiences.

RESULTS

Current literature offers a contradictory picture of adjustment to CFAs. Psychological adjustment appeared to be comparable to norms and reference groups in approximately half of the papers related to non-syndromic CFAs, while more variation was found across domains among samples with syndromic CFAs. Associations were found between adjustment, physical health and cognitive function in several papers. The review identified a number of gaps in the literature, such as the inclusion of a wide range of diagnoses within research samples.

CONCLUSIONS

This review demonstrates the complexity of findings, both within and across domains, and highlights a number of methodological challenges.

Risk and Protective Factors at Age 16: Psychological Adjustment in Children with a Cleft Lip and/or Palate

Objective

Explore psychological functioning in adolescents with a cleft at age 16 from a broad perspective, including cognitive, emotional, behavioral, appearance-related, and psychosocial adjustment. High-risk groups were identified within each area of adjustment to investigate whether vulnerable adolescents were found across domains or whether risk was limited to specific areas of adjustment.

Methods

Cross-sectional data based on psychological assessments at age 16 (N = 857). The effect of gender, cleft visibility, and the presence of an additional condition were investigated on all outcome variables. Results were compared with large national samples.

Measures

Hopkins Symptom Checklist, Harter Self-Perception Scale for Adolescents, Child Experience Questionnaire, and Satisfaction With Appearance scale.

Results

The main factor influencing psychological adjustment across domains was gender, with girls in general reporting more psychological problems, as seen in reference groups. The presence of an additional condition also negatively affected some of the measures. No support was found for cleft visibility as a risk factor except for dissatisfaction with appearance. Correlation analyses of risk groups seem to point to an association between social and emotional risk and between social risk and dissatisfaction with appearance. Associations between other domains were found to be weak.

Conclusions

The results point to areas of both risk and strength in adolescents born with a cleft lip and/or palate. Future research should investigate how protective factors could counteract potential risk in adolescents with a cleft.

No deficit in neurocortical information processing in patients with cleft lip and palate

BACKGROUND

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) represents the most common malformation of the midfacial region worldwide. It can be suggested that the facial stigmatization, the speech impediment, and the long-standing pressure of treatment cause a range of life stressors. Neurocortical information is influenced by physiological and psychological factors and varies significantly in patients suffering from chronic stress, anxiety, depression, or other psychopathological conditions following maladaptation. The aims of the present study were to investigate the neurocortical information processing of patients with CLP using the contingent negative variation (CNV) paradigm and to evaluate secondary psychopathology, anxiety, and depression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-five adults with CLP and 25 healthy volunteers, matched in age and gender, were investigated using recordings of the CNV. Initial CNV (iCNV), late CNV (lCNV), and total CNV (tCNV) as well as habituation slope of the iCNV were determined in each subject. Additionally, each participant had to complete the hospital anxiety and depression questionnaire (HADS) and the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R).

RESULTS

Individuals with CLP did not differ significantly from healthy subjects according to any of the CNV parameters investigated. No correlations could be revealed between the measured items and the confounding factors age and gender. Additionally, there were no differences between the groups regarding depression and SCL-90-R; however, anxiety showed significant group differences on a subclinical level.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that subjects with CLP show normal neurocortical information processing. It seems likely that CLP and its treatment have no impact on psychosocial functioning and neurophysiological mechanisms of attention.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The specific living conditions of patients with CLP do not result in disease-specific neurophysiological changes.

Soft-tissue profile growth in patients with repaired complete unilateral cleft lip and palate: A cephalometric comparison with normal controls at ages 7, 11, and 18 years

INTRODUCTION

In this retrospective longitudinal study, we aimed to study differences in the soft-tissue profiles in growing children with clefts in comparison with controls through the period of facial growth from 7 to 18 years.

METHODS

Lateral cephalometric measurements made at 7 years (T1), 11.1 years (T2), and 17.9 years (T3) of age of 70 white children (35 boys, 35 girls) with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) who received primary lip and palate repair surgeries at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, were compared with those of a control group of similar ages, sexes, and racial backgrounds, and having skeletal Class I facial growth, selected from the Burlington Growth Study. None of the included subjects had received any surgeries other than the primary lip and palate repairs, and none had undergone nasal septum surgery or nasal molding during infancy. Between-group comparisons were made at each time point using generalized linear models adjusted for age and sex effects. Longitudinal comparisons across all time points were conducted using the mixed model approach, adjusting for these effects and their interactions with time.

RESULTS

Bimaxillary retrognathism, progressive maxillary retrognathism, and increasing lower anterior face height with downward and backward growth rotation of the mandible in the UCLP group were seen. Unlike the hard-tissue face height ratio, their soft-tissue face height ratio was not affected. The upper lips in the UCLP group were shorter by 1.81 mm at T2 (P <0.001) and by 1.16 mm at T3 (P = 0.018), whereas their lower lips were 2.21 mm longer at T3 (P = 0.003). A reduced upper lip to lower lip length ratio at T2 and T3 (P <0.001) resulted. Their upper lips were relatively retruded by 1.44 mm at T1, 1.66 mm at T2, and 1.86 mm at T3 (all, P <0.001), and their lower lips were relatively protruded by 1.07 mm at T1 (P = 0.003), 1.40 mm at T2 (P <0.001), and 1.62 mm at T3 (P <0.001). Nose depths in the UCLP group were shallower by at least 1 mm from T1 to T3, and columellar length was shorter by almost 2 mm (all, P <0.001). Their columellae and nose tips rotated downward with growth, with the most significant rotations experienced from T2 to T3, and progressive reductions in their soft-tissue profile convexity were seen from T1 to T3 (P <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Key attributes of the imbalance in the soft-tissue profile in children with repaired UCLP were identified in the lip and nose regions. Although many profile differences were visible as early as 7 years of age, they became more apparent by 11 years of age and increased in severity thereafter. The short upper lip combined with a long lower lip resulted in the characteristic lip length imbalance, whereas the progressively retruding upper lip and protruding lower lip led to developing a step relationship in the sagittal lip profile during the adolescent growth period. Their columellae and nose tips rotated downward during this time.