Psychiatric disorders among children with poliomyelitis

ABSTRACT

Study of the psychiatric disorders among 200 children aged 6-12 years, 100 of them presented with old poliomyelitis revealed that 62% of poliomelitic children were suffering from one or more psychiatric troubles in comparison to only 24% of the healthy children. These psychiatric disorders included behavioral [attention deficit and conduct disorders], emotional [anxiety and depression], physical [eating, sleep and others] and learning disorders. They were affecting all age groups, both sexes and significantly increased with increasing birth ovler, family size and low socioeconomic standards. In addition, they resulted in increasing familial relationship disturbances and psychiatric troubles. On the other hand, psychological assessment of personality type of poliomyelitic children showed significant high score in neuroticism, low score in extroversion and normal scores in psychoticism and lie, while their mean intelligence quotient was within normal limits and not affected by their psychiatric troubles. It was concluded that poliomyelitis leads to many psychiatric disorders and personality changes, so proper attention and management of such problems should be emphasized