Psychiatric assessment of children with nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate

• Published in: General hospital psychiatry Vol. 33; no. 6; pp. 594 - 603
• Main Authors: Demir, Turkay, M.D, Karacetin, Gul, M.D, Baghaki, Semih, M.D, Aydin, Yagmur, M.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.11.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety disorders. Neuroses; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Chi-Square Distribution; Child; Children and adolescents; Cleft Lip - psychology; Cleft lip and palate; Cleft Palate - psychology; Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major - epidemiology; Facial bones, jaws, teeth, parodontium: diseases, semeiology; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Phobia; Phobic Disorders - epidemiology; Psychiatric assessment; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Psychological Tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Self Concept; Severity of Illness Index; Social anxiety; Statistics, Nonparametric; Depression; Children and adolescents; Psychiatric assessment; Social anxiety; Cleft lip and palate; Human; Mood disorder; Evaluation; Cleft palate; Cleft lip; Stomatology; Social phobia; Anxiety disorder; Congenital cleft; Congenital disease; Malformation; Adolescent; Oral cavity disease; Child
• ISSN: 0163-8343; 1873-7714
• DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2011.06.006

Abstract Objective The aim of the study was to determine whether children with nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP) are more likely to be diagnosed with psychiatric disorders and whether cleft-related factors are related to psychopathology. Method Twenty children from 6 to 16 years of age with NSCLP, attending the Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Department of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty between January and October 2010, were included as the case group. Forty healthy children who were matched on age and sex with the case group served as controls. Children were assessed by psychiatric interviews and scales. Results Social anxiety disorder (SAD) ( P =.003) and major depressive disorder (MDD) ( P =.010) were more prevalent in children with NSCLP. The severity of dentofacial ( P =.035) and cleft lip nose deformities ( P =.002), appearance and competence of the lip ( P =.008), dental alignment ( P =.002), feeding ( P =.044) and articulation problems ( P <.001) were associated with clinical global functioning. Conclusions Children with NSCLP are at risk of developing psychopathology, especially SAD and MDD. The above cleft-related factors and articulation problems may be the target of interventions to prevent and treat psychiatric disorders in these children.