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[Psychological and social problems in families with children with congenital defects]
1Výzkumný ústav psychiatrický, Praha.
Insights
The birth of a child with a cleft lip and palate (CLP) often causes mothers significant psychological distress, including neurotic symptoms and depression. This maternal mental health impact can persist, affecting the child
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Health
- Maternal Mental Health
Context:
- Study involved 109 mothers of children with clefts (up to 13-15 years old).
- Clefts served as a model for studying parental reactions to developmental defects.
- Focus on maternal psychological response to having a child with a congenital anomaly.
Purpose:
- Investigate maternal psychological reactions to the birth of a child with a developmental defect.
- Assess the long-term mental health impact on mothers and children.
- Identify factors exacerbating parental and child psychological distress.
Summary:
- Three-quarters of mothers reported the birth of a child with a cleft as a psychic shock, often leading to neurotic symptoms.
- Some mothers experienced undiagnosed and untreated reactive depression.
- Maternal mental health issues persisted into the child's adolescence, negatively impacting child's well-being and development.
- Parental negative attitudes and societal stigma contribute to children's psychological challenges, including impaired self-esteem and sexual identification.
Impact:
- Highlights the significant and lasting psychological burden on mothers of children with clefts.
- Underscores the link between maternal mental health and child psychological development.
- Suggests the need for integrated medical and counseling support for families affected by clefts to mitigate trauma and promote healthy development.
Abstract:
The authors investigated a group of 109 mothers whose children with a cleft (dg. 749) were up to the age of 13-15 years in the care of the Clinic of Plastic Surgery. The cleft served as a model situation for investigation of the parents' reaction, in particular the mother's reaction, to the birth of the child with a developmental defect. The main findings: three quarters of the mothers described the birth of a damaged child as a psychic shock followed by a series of neurotic symptoms. Some mothers suffered from reactive depression which was not diagnosed and therefore not treated. It was confirmed that the poor mental condition of the mother persist in the majority of the investigated group to the time of the child's adolescence and has a marked effect on its mental prosperity. Latent or manifest negative attitudes of the parents cause mental handicapping phenomena in the children (impaired self-esteem, impaired sexual identification etc.). Aggravating factors are stigmatizing manifestations from the environment of the family and child community, which affect some three quarters of mothers and children. The authors discuss suitable forms of medical and counseling care which after delivery and later would help to reduce the psychic trauma of the parents and promote adequate somatic and mental development of the child.