A case-control study of the difficulties in daily functioning experienced by children with depressive disorder

Problematic Internet use and daily difficulties among adolescents with school refusal behaviors: An observational cross-sectional analytical study

Problematic Internet use (PIU) is common and likely to coexist with mental health problems among adolescents with school refusal behavior. To date, no study has revealed to what extent PIU relates to the daily burden compared with other mental health problems. This study has examined the association between daily difficulties and PIU among adolescents with school refusal behaviors.This cross-sectional study involved all first-visit patients, regardless of diagnosis, aged 10 to 18 years at 2 child/adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinics in Yokohama City, Japan, from April 2016 to March 2018. The Questionnaire-Children with Difficulties (QCD) were obtained from parents. Simultaneously, the severity of PIU was evaluated using the Internet Addiction Test and depressive and anxiety symptoms were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale in the 2 weeks before the first-visit. From 684 first-visit patients, 227 with school refusal behaviors were enrolled in the study.PIU was observed in 40% of adolescents with school refusal behaviors. The QCD scores among patients with PIU were significantly lower than those in patients without PIU. Linear regression analysis revealed relationships between PIU and lower QCD scores throughout the day (except at night) and the total score of the day, after controlling for confounders such as depressive and anxiety symptoms.In conclusion, among adolescents with school refusal behaviors, PIU may affect their parent-assessed daily difficulties particularly experienced throughout the day.

Electronic cigarette use and suicidal behaviors among adolescents

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the use of e-cigarettes, which are regarded as alternatives to traditional cigarettes and are easy to purchase, with suicidal behaviors in adolescents.

METHODS

Data for 5405 middle and high school students aged 13-18 years who had used e-cigarettes were extracted from the 2016 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey and analyzed using multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among those who used e-cigarettes for 1-30 days in the past 30 days, suicidal ideation (odds ratio [OR] = 1.58, 95% CI, 1.31-1.89), suicidal plans (OR = 2.44, 95% CI, 1.94-3.08), suicidal attempts (OR = 2.44, 95% CI, 1.85-3.22) and serious attempts (OR = 3.09, 95% CI, 1.51-6.32) were higher compared to those who did not use an e-cigarette in the past 30 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Suicidal behaviors are significantly higher among current adolescent e-cigarette smokers than adolescents who have not used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days. Therefore, comprehensive intervention is needed to protect adolescents' mental health.

Risk factors for the difficulties in general activities across the day in Chinese children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

OBJECTIVES

To explore the factors significantly associated with the difficulties of general activities during specific time periods across the day in Chinese children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study assessing the validity and reliability of Questionnaire-Children with Difficulties (QCD) for difficulties of general activities during specific time periods of the day in 200 Chinese children and adolescents with ADHD was the data source for this post-hoc analysis. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors significantly associated with the total and subscale scores of QCD respectively.

RESULTS

ADHD subtype of inattention (vs combination subtype, coefficient 3.69, P=0.006), parent-child interaction activity (vs no parent-child activity, coefficient 4.30, P=0.002), and any psychiatric comorbidities (vs no mental comorbidities, coefficient -3.68, P=0.010) were independently and significantly associated with the total score of QCD (higher score indicating less difficulties, and vice-versa). These three factors and the other two factors, including mother's education and parenting style, were independently and significantly associated with at least one subscale score of QCD for the five time domains across the day.

CONCLUSION

The overall difficulties of the general activities across the day in ADHD patients could be independently affected by ADHD subtype, psychiatric comorbidities, and parent-children interaction activity. However, the factors significantly associated with the difficulties of the general activities during specific time periods of the day in ADHD patients were slightly different.

Validity and reliability of the Dundee difficult times of the day scale in Chinese children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

METHODS

A cross-sectional study enrolled 200 children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder visiting four Chinese tertiary care psychiatric clinics to assess the validity and reliability of the Dundee difficult times of the day scale (D-DTODS), using the Weiss functional impairment rating scale for parents form (WFIRS-P) and the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham, version IV 26-item teacher and parent rating scale (SNAP-IV-26).

RESULTS

The calculated Cronbach's-α for the D-DTODS total score was 0.793. The calculated Spearman's correlation coefficients for D-DTODS versus WFRIS-P and Swanson, Nolan and Pelham, version IV 26-item teacher and parent rating scale (SNAP-IV-26) were 0.425 (p < 0.01) and 0.452 (p < 0.001), respectively.

CONCLUSION

The D-DTODS was worth future test-retest confirmation regarding reliability and validity for assessing functional impairment associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder across different time periods of the day in Chinese children and adolescents.

Risk Factors for Suicide Ideation Among Adolescents: Five-Year National Data Analysis

This study identified risk factors for suicide ideation among adolescents through a secondary analysis using data collected over five years from the 5th-9th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey. We analyzed 370,568 students' responses to questions about suicidality. The risk factors for suicide ideation included demographic characteristics, such as gender (girls), low grades, low economic status, and not living with one or both parents. Behavioral and mental health risk factors affecting suicide ideation were depression, low sleep satisfaction, high stress, alcohol consumption, smoking, and sexual activity. Health care providers should particularly target adolescents manifesting the above risk factors when developing suicide prevention programs for them.

Major depressive disorder in an adolescent with Turner syndrome: a case report

Turner syndrome (TS) is a chromosomal abnormality, of which the presence and impact of coexisting psychiatric morbidity has received little attention. The present report describes an adolescent with mosaic karyotype TS who had major depressive disorder with the predisposing cause of psychosocial burden, and relieved with the treatment of sertraline and complete remission with combined use of estradiol valerate. The report suggests us to pay more attention on the mood disorders in children with TS, especially in adolescents. For treatment aspect, medications for improving the puberty development and short stature should be added to in addition to antidepressants if they had mood disorders.