Psychosocial adjustment in children and adolescents with a craniofacial anomaly: diagnosis-specific patterns.
OBJECTIVE
To obtain descriptive information about diagnosis-specific patterns of psychosocial adjustment for children and adolescents with craniofacial anomalies.


METHODS
Chart review of medical records was used to obtain psychosocial checklists. Scores were compared with published norms to evaluate elevated risk of problems, separately for six diagnostic groups.


METHODS
Plastic surgery department in urban university medical center.


METHODS
As part of routine ongoing care, 408 caregivers completed checklists assessing psychosocial adjustment of children aged 2 to 18 years with diagnosis of cleft lip and palate, cleft lip only, cleft palate only, craniosynostosis, hemifacial microsomia, and hemangioma.


METHODS
Child Behavior Checklist ( Achenbach, 1991 , 1992 ).


RESULTS
The craniosynostosis group showed elevated rates (beyond norms) of social, academic, and attention problems. The cleft lip and palate group showed elevations in social problems and deficits in social, academic, and activities competencies. The other diagnostic groups had few areas of elevated problems and had reduced risk in some areas.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific patterns of strengths and weaknesses in psychosocial adjustment may vary by craniofacial anomaly diagnosis. Replication of these findings, with extension to other craniofacial anomaly diagnoses, is warranted.
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Edinboro, Pennsylvania 16444, USA. hsnyder@edinboro.edu
Heather
H
Snyder
Alice W
AW
Pope
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000523:psychology; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000523:psychology; D019465:Craniofacial Abnormalities / Q000523:psychology*; D003398:Craniosynostoses / Q000523:psychology; D005146:Facial Asymmetry / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012917:Social Adjustment