Anxiety and Depression in Facial Injuries: A Comparative Study

Area of Science:

• Psychological impact of trauma
• Facial injury research
• Mental health in surgery

Background:

• Facial injuries can lead to significant psychological distress.
• Understanding anxiety and depression post-trauma is crucial for patient care.
• Factors like injury severity, gender, and age may influence psychological outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify anxiety and depression levels in patients with facial injuries.
• To explore how injury disfigurement, gender, and age affect psychological responses.
• To assess psychological status at multiple postoperative intervals.

Main Methods:

• 153 patients with facial injuries (disfiguring and non-disfiguring) were studied.
• The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was administered.
• Assessments were conducted at discharge, 1 month, and 6 months post-operation.

Main Results:

• Patients with disfiguring facial injuries reported significantly higher anxiety and depression.
• Female patients showed higher HADS scores than male patients at 1 and 6 months.
• Younger patients (under 50) had higher anxiety and depression scores than older patients.

Conclusions:

• Disfiguring facial injuries are associated with elevated anxiety and depression.
• Psychological distress persists at 1 and 6 months post-injury.
• Female patients under 50 with facial trauma exhibit higher psychological distress.