“PKU TALKS: THE EXPERT’S VOICE” is the periodical column on Phenylketonuria, created by Piam in collaboration with some of the major international specialists.
Today an interview with Dr. Chiara Cazzorla, psychologist and psychotherapist at the Padua Hospital, about the piscological aspects of patients with PKU and their difficulties: what can help patients?
What is your expertise, as a psychologist, in managing PKU patients?
The expertise of a psycologist that manages PKU patients is about the evaluation of the subjective perception of their quality of life, from the childhood to the adulthood: in fact, there are many difficulties related to the managing of the diet therapy.
We think that is very important to underline the quality of life of these patinets and the impact that a cronical disease could have on emotional and social aspects of their life.
What do you think may help manage PKU patients even better than today?
I think that is very important to support these patients and their families in managing day to day the disease. Is also very important to give to Metabolic Centres a better knowledge about the psychological aspects of these patients.
We think that in order to give the better care for these patients is very important to consider every aspects of their life.