Psychosocial Adjustment in Norwegian Adults who had Undergone Standardised Treatment of Complete Cleft Lip and Palate: I. Education, employment and marriage

Abstract

Aspects of social and psychological adjustment were investigated in a sample of 233 Norwegian adults 20-35 years old with repaired complete cleft of the lip and palate (CLP); in 126 the cleft was on the left, in 45 on the right, and in 62 it was bilateral. All subjects received a standardised regimen of care from the Oslo cleft palate team. The investigation, based on response to a questionnaire, partly replicated a national survey of social and economic life in the population, so that adults with complete clefts could be compared with a large control sample of the same age. This report covers education, employment, and marriage. The results confirm previous findings that there are few differences in educational attainment and employment between adults with CLP and other people. Fewer with CLP marry, and when they marry they do so later in life, particularly if the CLP is bilateral. Income seemed to be lower among married men and single women with CLP than among the control population.