PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN PERIPHERAL FACIAL PARALYSIS IN CHILDREN. A PILOT STUDY

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Facial disfigurement may cause psychological and psychic changes. Peripheral facial paralysis can lead to dysfunctions of the dento-maxillary system and important asymmetries in facial dynamics. The expression of feelings as well as social relations can be disturbed. These trigger factors acting on the developing psyche of a child may cause psychological distress. The pilot study conducted in a group of 10 children with peripheral facial paralysis, with a mean age of 13.4 years, showed that a psychological evaluation within two weeks from the onset of the disease can evidence anxiety phenomena. These changes should be known and treated, ensuring a positive support for the adequate development of the child’s psyche and are important factors in the evolution and maintenance of somatic pathology.

Keywords

• psychological distress
• facial paralysis
• facial palsy
• anxiety
• depression