Abuse and Neglect of Children With Specific Learning Disorders in Türkiye: A Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND

Although it is often stated that children with special needs are at risk of being abused and neglected, research conducted on the abuse of children with specific learning disorders (SLDs) is limited.

METHODS

This case-control study aims to compare exposure to neglect and abuse among children diagnosed with SLDs (case group) and children with typical development (control group). The study included children aged 6 to 12 years who were referred to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic and Pediatric Clinic of a hospital in Türkiye. The data collection process included 196 participants and lasted for 7 months in 2020.

RESULTS

Based on the analysis of the data collected with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children-Present and Lifetime Turkish Version (K-SADS-PL-T) and the Abuse Assessment Questionnaire, we determined that children with SLDs were physically and emotionally abused more than the children of the control group. In addition, they witnessed violence between their parents more than the control group. Physical abuse, emotional abuse and witnessing family violence were identified as significant predictors for SLD.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of SLDs is a significant risk factor for children to be exposed to abuse even in the absence of ADHD as a comorbidity.

Attitudes of parents of children with ADHD towards genetic testing: Data from a Turkish sample

This study aimed to examine the opinions of parents with children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder about genetic tests. A total of 540 parents living in Turkey participated in the study face-to-face and online. A questionnaire form prepared by the researchers was used as the data collection instrument. Face-to-face data were collected in different institutions in the cities of İzmir, Bursa and Antalya, while online data were collected through Google Forms. The results revealed that parents' views on genetic testing differed according to the sex and age of the child, as well as the parents' level of education and income, and whether the parents had genetic testing during pregnancy (p < 0.05). In the analysis, it was determined that parents' knowledge and awareness levels about genetic tests were generally low, while parents who reported that they would consider having genetic tests had concerns about the storage of their DNA materials, family conflicts that could be caused by genetic tests, and the compatibility of genetic tests with their religious beliefs.

Investigation of anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and quality of life of children of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms, and quality of life of children whose parents were healthcare workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic period.

METHODS

The participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the depression inventory for children (CDI), the screening for anxiety disorders in children (SCARED), the Maudsley obsessive compulsive question list (MOCQL), and the pediatric quality of life inventory (PedsQL) using online applications. A total of 153 children and adolescents whose parents were healthcare workers and 356 children and adolescents whose parents were not healthcare workers were included in the study.

RESULTS

One tenth of all children participating in our study had a high level of depression, and nearly half of them had a high level of anxiety. There was no significant difference in CDI (p = 0.306), SCARED (p = 0.841), and PedsQL (p = 0.863) scale scores between the two groups. The MOCQL scale scores were higher in the group whose parents were not health professionals for cleanliness (p<0.001), slowness (p = 0.001), and total score (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

It was found that all participants were affected by anxiety, depression, and quality of life decline; moreover, obsessive-compulsive symptoms were more common in children whose parents were healthcare workers. In this context, our findings could help determine possible mental health problems of children and adolescents whose parents are or are not healthcare workers.

Examination of relationship factors between psychological resilience and social support in adolescent obesity

PURPOSE

Childhood obesity is one of the most severe public health problems, and psychiatric conditions have been associated with obesity. In this study, we aimed to investigate psychological resilience and possible related factors in adolescents with obesity.

METHOD

The study included 90 adolescents with obesity and 100 healthy adolescents of similar age. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form, the Child and Youth Resilience Measure-28 (CYRM-28), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Scale scores were compared by Pearson's correlation coefficient test with SPSS-23. Multiple linear regression was performed to describe the relationships between variables.

RESULTS

The adolescents participating in the study were similar in terms of age and gender. Psychological resilience and social support in the obesity group were lower than in the control group (p < 0.05). A negative relationship was found between body mass index (BMI) and resilience levels of adolescents with obesity, and a positive relationship was found between social support and resilience levels (p = 0.027 and p < 0.001, respectively). The perceived family and significant other social support subscale scores of adolescents in the obesity group were significantly lower than in the control group (p = 0.037 and p = 0.023, respectively). The most related variable with the CYRM-28 was the level of perceived social support: standardized β = 0.409; t(151) = 5.626; p < 0.001.

CONCLUSION

A higher BMI has a negative effect on psychological resilience, and family support tends to be lower in these cases. New studies are needed to clarify whether this result is one of the causes of obesity or one of its consequences.

Migrainous Vertigo: Clinical, Oculographic and Posturographic Findings

Migrainous vertigo (MV) is accepted as a common cause of episodic vertigo. The peripheral or central vestibular localization of the deficit as well as the pathophysiology is unclear. This prospective study was designed to assess the clinical features of MV and to search for the localization of the vestibular pathology. Thirty-five patients with MV, 20 patients with migraine and 20 healthy volunteers were studied. Comprehensive neurotological tests were performed between attacks. None of the normal controls or the patients with migraine had ocular motor deficits or caloric test abnormalities. Three patients in the MV group showed saccadic pursuit (8.6±), in one of whom saccadic hypometria was also present. Caloric test results revealed unilateral caloric hypofunction in seven patients (20±). Static posturography results revealed increased sway velocity when the eyes were closed or the platform was distorted in patients with MV. These findings during the symptom-free period revealed that peripheral vestibular dysfunction was more common than a central deficit.