PROJECT:    Mental health disorders among individuals with craniofacial anomalies

RESEARCHER:   Dr Mohammed Junaid

LOCATION:     The University of Western Australia

The social stigma faced by people with craniofacial deformities is well-documented, and raising public awareness of craniofacial conditions so that they are treated with compassion requires constant effort. The impairments in speech and hearing, as well as appearance and self-esteem issues, that people with craniofacial conditions are affected by can often lead to bullying, social inclusion and other forms of trauma. However, research into the mental health outcomes of people with craniofacial conditions has been limited. The study lead by Dr Mohammed Junaid that aims to understand the prevalence of mental health problems in craniofacial patients compared to a control population. By using linked population data from several different databases, Dr Mohammed Junaid is working towards understanding the epidemiology of rare craniofacial anomalies, analysing any association between craniofacial deformity, intellectual disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder, trends in the hospitalisation of craniofacial patients, and short- and long-term survival of children with craniofacial deformities.

By utilising population data from seven databases across Western Australia, this projects aims to find out how many craniofacial patients experience mental health conditions and get a better picture of patients’ quality of life in comparison to people without craniofacial anomalies.

The findings of this study may have a profound impact on the management protocols followed by craniofacial multi-disciplinary teams. A better understanding of the long-term mental health faced by craniofacial patients will be able to inform health practitioners to develop more effective policies and protocols and allow them to give better psychological and emotional support to patients.