Personality and Cognitive-Emotional Variables in Spanish Children and Adolescents With and Without Cleft Lip and/or Palate

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze personality (Big Five Model) and cognitive-emotional variables in children and adolescents with a cleft lip/palate (s) in comparison to an equivalent peer sample without an orofacial cleft.

Design: Cross-sectional study with data collected using self-reported questionnaires over 2 years.

Setting: Data were collected during visits to health center dental clinics.

Patients: Children and adolescents (aged 8-18 years) with nonsyndromic CL/P (n = 60) and without a cleft (n = 60).

Method: Patients completed questionnaires with assistance as needed from a member of the research team.

Main outcome measures: Children's Perceived Self-Efficacy, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (child version), Big Five Questionnaire for Children, and Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children.

Results: When accounting for age, children with CL/P had normative self-efficacy and cognitive-emotional regulation strategies, with the protective factor of significantly lower rumination than peers. Children with CL/P were significantly lower on the Big Five personality areas of conscientiousness, openness to experience, extraversion, and agreeableness along with significantly higher neuroticism. They were similarly significantly higher than peers for alexithymia.

Conclusion: Children with CL/P showed strengths in self-efficacy typical of peers and less use of some maladaptive coping strategies; however, they also had higher levels of alexithymia and risk factors associated with the Big Five Model of personality. Strategies may be clinically useful that maximize areas of strength to support children with CL/P in expressing their emotions to reduce alexithymia, coping with of negative affect, and building assertiveness.

Keywords: alexithymia; cleft lip and palate; emotional regulation; personality; psychological adjustment; self-efficacy.