Quality of Life in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cleft Lip and Palate with and Without Speech Therapy During COVID-19

Abstract

Objective

Cleft-related speech concerns can affect the quality of life (QOL) in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP). During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in-person speech therapy (ST) was restricted due to fear of getting infected. This study aimed to compare QOL in patients with CLP with and without ST during the pandemic.

Design

Cross-sectional Study

Setting

CLP team at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS).

Patients/Participants

Thirty-six CLP subjects with a mean age of 17.33 ± 4 years participated in two groups, including with and without ST. Fifteen subjects had cleft palate only (CPO) and others had CLP.

Interventions

ST group received at least 10 ST sessions, and group without ST didn’t receive ST during COVID-19.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

A virtual link of demographic and QOL adolescent cleft (QoLAdoCleft) questionnaires were sent to fill out. Results were extracted and transferred to SPSS.

Results

Total and subscales’ scores of QoLAdoCleft were lower in ST group than without ST but differences between them weren’t statistically significant (P > .05). Furthermore, according to cleft type, there weren’t any statistically significant differences in total, physical, and social subscales of QoLAdoCleft (P > .05); however, psychological subscale in CLP had a higher significant score than CPO (P < .05).

Conclusions

QOL was weak in all patients with CLP, and receiving/not receiving ST couldn’t make noticeable differences between them. It seems; COVID-19 pandemic can have an adverse effect on these results. Also, subjects with CLP had weaker psychological than CPO due to negative psychosocial feedback related to Orofacial deformities received from society.