II. Psychiatric and behavioral problems of primary school children in Ismailia: Relationship to academic achievement

A sample of 238 children [aged 6-11 years] were randomly selected from stratified randomly selected primary schools in Ismailia. Children were assessed by their teachers and parents using in Conners and Child Behavior Checklists [CBCL] for the presence of psychiatric and behavioral problems. Cognitive and intellectual skills were assessed using Goodenough test, WISC-R, Mental Ability test. Academic achievement and school performace were indicated by the use of mid-year test scores of each child in language [Arabic] and arithmetic. Results show that behavioral problems a from 4.6% up to 16.8% according to source of information. Behaviorally and psychiatrically problematic boys identified by their teachers exhibited more problematic profiles on CBCL than girls and those identified by their parents as problematic. Children with behavioral and psychiatric problems were more likely to perform poorly on WISC-R, to obtain lower full scale I.Q., to obtain lower scores on Mental Ability test and to have more academic difficulties in language [Arabic] and arthimetic than non problematic children. Cognitive dysfunctions, behavioral and psychiatric problems and academic difficulties [Arabic language and arithmatic] were statistically significantly associated and correlated. These findings and their implications are discussed and suggestions for early detection, educational remediation and future research are presented

Tardive dyskinesia and adverse perinatal events

The study screened and examined 61 children and adolescents who were receiving neuroleptic treatment from consecutive psychiatric admissions and psychiatric consultations to Psychiatric Center for the presence of tardive dyskinesia [TD] using st and ardized assessment tools [AIMS and ADS]. Assessment was done on more than one occasion and the diagnosis of positive cases of TD was based on TD research criteria. Histories of perinatal adversity, developmental milestones and neuroleptic exposure were obtained for both TD and non-TD subgroups. Results showed that 20% of the sample received a diagnosis of TD. Patients were more likely to be younger males with previous hospitalization, with longer duration of neuroleptic exposure, have longer duration of maximal daily dose in mg chlorpromazine equivalents, and with history of exposure to adverse perinatal, neonatal events, developmental delays and neurological events, than non-TD patients. In a series of multiple regression analyses, only neuroleptic exposure, adverse perinatal and developmental events were strongly associated with TD. The explanations and implications of the results were discussed

reliability and validity study of a rating scale for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Egyptian children and adolescents

The Conners Parent-Teacher Rating Scale has been used widely in assessment and treatment studies of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] and proved to be of high reliability and validity. This study reports on the reliability and validity of the Arab version of Conners Rating Scale as used by parents, teachers and other raters in three different groups of Egyptian children and adolescents. A healthy group of normal preschoolers, a medically referred group of children, and a group of children and adolescents with the diagnosis of ADHD. Test-retest and inter-rater reliability were analyzed. The high digrees of reliability for the normal preschoolers [r=0.96] and the ADHD group [r=0.64 and 0.68] in contrast to the medically referred group [r=0.53] are discussed. It is emphasized that such a scale should be under no circumstances used as a means for diagnosing ADHD in children, rather it should be viewed as providing additional data that may facilitate the interpretation of other clinical material and assist in the assessment of treatment efficacy

Psychiatric correlates of infertility

The authors interviewed 78 patients with primary infertility, 55 patients with secondary infertility, and 50 non-infertile comparison patients in a semistructured interview using the Beck Depression and Taylor Anxiety Rating scales. Psychopathology assessment explored, in addition to anxiety and depression, optimism, pessimism, and hostility indices. Significantly more patients with primary infertility reported anxiety, depression, pessimism, hostility, and lower optimism, than patients with secondary infertility and control. Both groups reported increased frequency of intercourse and more social involvement than control. There were significant differences between primary and secondary infertility groups as regard the cyclic change of anxiety, depression, dyspareunia and orgasm satisfaction. This study gives support to the association between infertility and psychiatric dysfunctioning. It is suggested that infertile patients should receive psychiatric evaluation-intervention as an integrated part of their work up

Depressive and anxiety symptoms in physically-handicapped students

97 physically - handicapped students [age 11-18 years] were assessed for psychological symptoms and social class indicators in comparison to age and sex matched control group in Port Said preparatory and secondary schools. Beck Depression Inventory and Taylor Anxiety Rating Scale were used in addition to a questionnaire measuring income, crowding indices, and social life - events in a semistructured interview. Results showed that significantly larger numbers of handicapped students suffered from depressive [48.5 percent] and anxiety [25.8 percent] symptoms in comparison to the control group [14.4 percent and 9.3 percent respectively] [p< 0.001]. In the handicapped group, there was a significant association between depressive [60 percent] and anxiety [33.8 percent] symptoms with female sex compared to males [30.7 percent and 14.4 percent respectively] [p< 0.05], with use of rehabilitation aids [p< 0.001], indices of low income [p< 0.001], and crowding [p< 0.001]. Our results suggest that stress - management programs should outreach high risk handicapped students particularly females in low - income and overcrowded families

Stressful life events and hypertension

Using the Arabic modified version of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, the life events were scored retrospectively in 164 hypertensive patients together with 328 normotensive adult controls attending the urban primary health care units for a period of six months preceding the onset of hypertension for patients and preceding the date of the interview for the control group. Results showed that stressful life events were significantly associated with the development of hypertension. Our findings suggest that psychological stresses might contribute to the onset of hypertension stress-management programs might be helpful, and studies of its utility in hypertensive patients should be encouraged