Effects of corrective strabismus surgery on social anxiety and self-consciousness in adults

To report the results of a questionnaire-based interventional study to evaluate the effects of strabismus surgery on private self-consciousness, public self-consciousness, and social anxiety using a validated self-consciousness survey instrument.

Patients who underwent strabismus surgery completed a demographics and a self-consciousness scale form both pre- and postoperatively. The total and subscale (private self-consciousness, public self-consciousness, and social anxiety) summative scores were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, with statistically significant relationships defined as P < 0.05. Total and subscale summative scores were analyzed as such and by strabismus type, years of education, and marital status.

Overall improvement was found postoperatively in total scores (P = 0.012), public self-consciousness scores (P = 0.009), and social anxiety scores (P = 0.028). Although improvement was noted for the private self-consciousness subscale (P = 0.188), it did not reach statistical significance. Subdivided according to strabismic and demographic subgroups, significant improvement was only noted in esotropic patients, college graduates, married/living partner/widowed patients, and separated/divorced patients.

This study suggests that beyond functional and cosmetic improvements, strabismus surgery can result in improved public self-consciousness and social anxiety, with greatest effect noted in esotropic, college graduates, and nonsingle patients.