'Everybody is watching me': A closer look at anxiety in people with facial palsy

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Objectives: Objectives were to evaluate the sociodemographic and disease-related factors, and coping style associated with social interaction and social appearance anxiety in people with unilateral facial palsy. Methods: Medical data were extracted from electronic health records, and participants completed the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS), and Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced inventory. Associations of SIAS and SAAS scores with sociodemographic and disease variables, and coping were assessed with multiple linear regression. Results: Among 111 participants (mean age 58.6 years; 59% women), higher age and greater use of emotion-focused coping were associated with lower SIAS scores, whereas greater use of avoidant coping was associated with higher SIAS scores. Higher age, male sex, and greater use of emotion-focused coping were associated with lower SAAS scores, whereas greater use of avoidant coping was associated with higher SAAS scores. Conclusions: Healthcare providers should understand that women and younger people are more likely to have social appearance concerns and that this is not predicted by the objective severity of facial palsy.