Abstract :
The purpose of the study was to explore social isolation among care givers of children with cleft lip and cleft palate (CLP). A structured interview guideline was developed based on the review of the literature. The thematic analysis was conducted on structured interviews of the neurologist, plastic surgeon, medical officer, clinical psychologist and from the caregivers of children with cleft lip and palate. Initially forty eight items codes were developed. These codes were categorized under sub-themes and eventually comprised main themes via thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Maguire & Delahunt, 2017). The findings described the main theme of social isolation and following sub themes: Mental agony (abasement, shame, emotional pain, and disgrace embarrassment), Introversive tendencies (focus on internal feelings, restrained thinking, ignominy, self-abortion, self- centeredness, self-involvement, and self-concern) and lack of social cohesion (unstable relationships, disconnection from the society). The conclusion highlighted distressful experiences of the caregivers of children with CLP who faced considerable level of social isolation, affecting their lives and their children. Implications in the context of the present findings are discussed.