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The Psychosocial Impact of Cleft in a Western Australian Cohort Across 3 Age Groups
Wendy Nicholls1, Linda A Selvey2, Craig Harper3
11 Princess Margaret Hospital Dental/Cleft Lip and Palate Unit, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Insights
Individuals with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) experience significant psychosocial challenges impacting daily life. Addressing these psychosocial needs is crucial for comprehensive craniofacial team care throughout development.
Area of Science:
- Craniofacial medicine
- Psychology
- Public health
Background:
- Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) management requires a lifelong multidisciplinary approach.
- CL/P presents complex medical and psychosocial challenges, increasing risks for affected individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the psychosocial impact of CL/P across different age groups.
- To identify specific areas of life most affected by CL/P and assess the importance of various support systems.
Main Methods:
- A self-administered questionnaire was used.
- The study included 3 age groups from the Western Australian cleft population: children (n=100), adolescents (n=101), and adults (n=158).
Main Results:
- Public speaking, photography, relationships, and school participation were most impacted by CL/P.
- Hearing and speech were deemed more important than facial/dental appearance; parental support was highly valued.
- Adolescents and adults with CL/P reported higher impacts from teasing, with no significant gender differences.
Conclusions:
- The psychosocial impact of CL/P affects multiple life domains and varies by age.
- Recognizing and addressing these psychosocial needs is essential for integrated craniofacial team care.
Background:
Management of a cleft of the lip and/or palate (CL/P) involves a multidisciplinary team approach lasting from birth to potentially postskeletal maturity. This condition is complex, with both medical and psychosocial implications that may place individuals with a cleft at higher risk of developing psychosocial problems.
Methodology:
A self-administered questionnaire was completed by a sample from the Western Australian cleft population comprising 3 age groups: child (n = 100), adolescent (n = 101), and adult (n = 158).
Results:
Public speaking, being photographed, special relationships, and participation in school were identified as the areas most impacted by having a cleft. Hearing and speech were reported to have a higher importance than facial and dental appearance. Participants rated support given to them by their parents as the most important, with high ratings for treatment providers. For teasing, the impact of cleft was significantly higher among participants with cleft lip and palate for both the adolescent and adult age groups. There was little significant difference by gender across the variables, which suggests that males are just as likely to require support as females.
Conclusion:
The impact of a cleft across multiple psychosocial domains needs to be recognized and addressed as part of craniofacial team care across age groups.
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