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(HealthNewsDigest.com) New York, NY – A fifteen-year-old girl with Scoliosis always wears a shirt over her swimsuit to prevent people from noticing her curve. She also wears her hair long and flips it over her back to cover her bump. According to a new study, she is not alone in trying to cover up her psychological problems and her anxiety. Dr. Baron Lonner, director of Scoliosis and Spine Associates and a spine surgeon with NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, recently found that children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) suffer from psychological distress and have severe appearance-related concerns that can greatly affect their lives.
In exploring the psychological issues of AIS patients, Dr Lonner and his team developed the Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire (BIDQ-S), a clinical tool designed by Dr. Lonner that assesses appearance-related distress in AIS patients and can help surgeons, in cooperation with patients and their families, make the best choices about treatment options. For example, the questionnaire asks:
• Are you worried about your appearance?
• Has your back shape caused problems with your friends, family members, or dating?
• Do you ever avoid doing things because of your back?
Using the new BIDQ-S, Dr. Lonner enrolled 205 healthy adolescents and 75 AIS patients (29 operative patients, 46 non-operative) in his study. Results demonstrated greater, though certainly not exclusive, psychological concerns expressed by girls.
To further understand the psychological implications, Dr. Lonner polled the same group of operative patients and found that surgery in fact was helpful in numerous cases to reverse or ameliorate the psychological impact that patients have previously felt.
“Although studies exist that measure the physical impacts of adolescents with AIS, none examined the serious psychological impact and body image disturbance issues this disease can have on an adolescent’s behavior and future,” said Dr. Lonner. “I wanted to be able to understand what my patients were going through so I could make more informed and balanced decisions in treating the individuals needs of the whole patient.”
Dr. Lonner recommends the BIDQ-S to all physicians who work with AIS patients as it can help improve communication and overall treatment. He also suggests speaking to patients about other issues that may cause them to stress about their body, counseling parents and patients, and in more serious cases recommending psychiatric counseling.
For more information visit: http: www.scoliosisassociates.com
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