CCA Patient Psychology & Counseling 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient receiving a nasal prosthesis after rhinectomy expresses anger at their surgeon during the fitting appointment. The anaplastologist should recognize this as:
- A sign the patient is not ready for the prosthesis
- A normal stage in the grief process that should be acknowledged (Correct answer)
- Behavior requiring immediate psychiatric referral
- Evidence of poor surgical outcome dissatisfaction
Correct answer: A normal stage in the grief process that should be acknowledged
Anger is a recognized stage of grief (Kübler-Ross model) and is a normal emotional response to disfigurement and loss.
Question 2: Which psychosocial factor most strongly predicts successful prosthetic rehabilitation outcomes in craniofacial patients?
- Patient age at time of fitting
- Strength of patient social support network (Correct answer)
- Geographic proximity to the anaplastology clinic
- Insurance coverage for the prosthesis
Correct answer: Strength of patient social support network
Strong social support networks are consistently identified as the most significant predictor of positive psychosocial outcomes in craniofacial rehabilitation.
Question 3: When counseling a patient who is experiencing phantom pain in the area of a missing ear, the anaplastologist should:
- Dismiss the complaint as psychological only and redirect to prosthetic function
- Acknowledge the phenomenon, validate the experience, and refer to appropriate medical providers (Correct answer)
- Advise the patient the prosthesis will eliminate phantom sensations
- Document the complaint but take no further action
Correct answer: Acknowledge the phenomenon, validate the experience, and refer to appropriate medical providers
Phantom sensations are a real neurological phenomenon; validating the patient's experience and coordinating interdisciplinary care is the appropriate response.
Question 4: During a counseling session, a patient uses the phrase 'I feel like I'm no longer a whole person.' This statement most directly reflects a disruption in:
- Pain threshold perception
- Body image and sense of self (Correct answer)
- Cognitive processing ability
- Fine motor skill coordination
Correct answer: Body image and sense of self
Statements about wholeness and personhood reflect body image disturbance, a core psychological issue in patients with craniofacial defects.
Question 5: Which communication technique is MOST effective when a patient is emotionally overwhelmed and tearful during a prosthetic consultation?
- Quickly pivot to clinical information to refocus the patient
- Offer a tissue, pause, and use silence to allow emotional expression (Correct answer)
- Invite a family member to take over the conversation
- Reschedule the appointment for when the patient is calmer
Correct answer: Offer a tissue, pause, and use silence to allow emotional expression
Allowing silence and offering simple comfort signals empathy and creates space for the patient to process emotions before clinical discussion resumes.
Question 6: A teenager fitted with an orbital prosthesis refuses to wear it at school. The most therapeutically appropriate initial step is:
- Contact the school to require the patient to wear the prosthesis
- Explore the adolescent's specific fears and social concerns without judgment (Correct answer)
- Increase prosthesis realism and schedule a new fitting
- Refer immediately to a child psychologist without further discussion
Correct answer: Explore the adolescent's specific fears and social concerns without judgment
Exploring underlying fears first establishes trust and identifies barriers before any corrective action is taken.
Question 7: The concept of 'stigma management' in craniofacial rehabilitation refers to:
- Managing surgical scar appearance
- Strategies patients use to control how their difference is perceived by others (Correct answer)
- Documentation of visible prosthetic irregularities
- Clinical protocols for infection prevention
Correct answer: Strategies patients use to control how their difference is perceived by others
Stigma management encompasses the social and behavioral strategies patients adopt to navigate public perception of their visible difference.
CCA Patient Psychology & Counseling 2
A patient receiving a nasal prosthesis after rhinectomy expresses anger at their surgeon during the fitting appointment.
The anaplastologist should recognize this as: