title: The psychosocial aspects of strabismus in teenagers and adults and the impact of surgical correction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of surgical correction of strabismus on psychosocial parameters in teenagers and adults with a history of childhood-onset strabismus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients older than 15 years of age who underwent strabismus surgery between 1997 and 2002 were contacted to complete a telephone questionnaire about their preoperative and postoperative psychosocial experiences. Formulas using the questionnaire answers were calculated to estimate the impact of strabismus on self-esteem, self-confidence, self-assessment of intelligence, effect on employment options, and interpersonal relationships preoperatively and to calculate the change in these parameters postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred twenty-eight patients were identified with childhood-onset strabismus. Eighty-six percent (110/128) of patients reported that the strabismus caused them embarrassment preoperatively. These patients also reported trouble making eye contact (114/128) and developing mannerisms to camouflage their strabismus (96/128). The calculated preoperative self-esteem, self-confidence, and perceived intelligence scores were significantly improved following strabismus surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strabismus surgery to restore ocular alignment has a significant effect on patients' self-esteem and self-confidence in patients with childhood-onset strabismus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Bradley A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Kammi B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Gunton
authors.forename: Judith N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Lasker
authors.forename: Leonard B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Lea Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Drohan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003867:Depth Perception / Q000502:physiology; D004172:Diplopia / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000601:surgery*; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D011594:Psychometrics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D013285:Strabismus / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome