Methods of Psychological Assistance in Patients with Facial Nerve Damage

The article presents an analysis of modern studies assessing the effectiveness of various methods aimed at psychological assistance to patients with facial nerve damage. Despite the fact that impaired facial mobility is a serious challenge for a person, the availability of psychological help for patients is very limited. About 70% of patients have symptoms of emotional maladaptation, which are more common in women and are more dependent on the subjective assessment of their condition. Analysis of studies has shown the important role of psychological education of the population about the problems of this clinical group in reducing stigmatization and social fears of patients. In addition, results were found indicating the effectiveness of self-help methods that can replace a one-time consultation with a specialist and ensure the availability of psychological help. Studies of psychotherapeutic intervention are mainly based on methods of the cognitive-behavioral approach, however, they were conducted on small samples that include other nosologies associated with facial lesions. A few studies on group therapy have yielded conflicting results. On the one hand, the developed trainings did not provide improvements in the long term; on the other hand, the group organization of therapeutic activities can have a positive effect on the emotional state of patients. The results obtained indicate the importance of developing protocols and recommendations for providing psychological assistance to patients with damage to the facial nerve, and also indicate the need to develop an evidence-based approach to the care provided.

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