ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To characterize the perceptions of self, mother and family of prepubertal children and to determine if the perceptions of children with depression and their behavior towards their mothers are different from children with anxiety disorders and nonpsychiatric controls. METHODS: Children (aged 7-13 years) with major depressive disorder (n=30), anxiety disorders (n=37) and nonpsychiatric controls (n=32) underwent structured psychiatric evaluations and completed questionnaires on their perceptions of themselves and their relations with their mothers and families. The child-mother dyad was observed during structured interactions. RESULTS: Self-perceptions of depressed children were significantly more negative than those of children with anxiety and controls. Depression severity negatively correlated with the child's self-perception and positively correlated with perceptions of the mother as being more rejecting, controlling, less accepting and less allowing autonomy, and of the family as being less cohesive. Depression severity was also positively associated with the child's hostile attitude towards the mother during the interactions. CONCLUSION: Our findings of greater negative perceptions of self, mother and family in depressed children compared to children with anxiety disorders and nonpsychiatric children suggest that approaches specifically addressing negative perceptions and targeting familial relationships could be especially effective for treating young children with depression.
Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders/psychology , Depression/psychology , Depressive Disorder, Major/psychology , Family , Mother-Child Relations/psychology , Self Concept , Social Perception , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Family/psychology , Female , Hostility , Humans , Interview, Psychological , Male , Negativism , Self Report , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the drug response and side effects of adolescents with schizophrenia treated with olanzapine, risperidone, and haloperidol. METHODS: Forty-three patients were treated with olanzapine (n = 19), risperidone (n = 17) and haloperidol (n = 7) for 8 weeks in an open clinical trial. Clinical improvement was evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and side effects with the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersogelser (UKU) Side Effect Rating Scale. RESULTS: Significant clinical improvement was observed by week 4 for all medications. Olanzapine and haloperidol induced fatigability more frequently than risperidone. Haloperidol was associated with a higher frequency of depression and more severe extrapyramidal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge this is the first study in adolescents to compare the efficacy and side effects of three most commonly prescribed antipsychotic medications. Olanzapine, risperidone and haloperidol appear to be equally effective for the treatment of schizophrenia in adolescent inpatients but have different side effect profiles.
Subject(s)
Antipsychotic Agents/therapeutic use , Haloperidol/therapeutic use , Pirenzepine/analogs & derivatives , Pirenzepine/therapeutic use , Risperidone/therapeutic use , Schizophrenia/drug therapy , Adolescent , Antipsychotic Agents/adverse effects , Benzodiazepines , Depression/chemically induced , Dopamine Antagonists/therapeutic use , Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced , Fatigue/chemically induced , Female , Haloperidol/adverse effects , Humans , Male , Olanzapine , Pirenzepine/adverse effects , Risperidone/adverse effects , Serotonin Antagonists/therapeutic use , Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between components of death concept (preoccupation with death, death as a pleasant state, and death as final) and suicidal behavior in adolescents. METHOD: The death concepts of 51 suicidal inpatients, 102 nonsuicidal inpatients, 36 emergency room suicidal subjects, and 81 normal controls were compared using Pfeffer's Child Suicide Potential Scale. In addition, the IQ level as well as emotions that potentially influence the death concept were measured. RESULTS: Both groups of suicidal adolescents evaluated death as more pleasant than the nonsuicidal groups. All the study groups equally perceived death as a final state. Suicidal inpatients were more preoccupied with death than nonsuicidal inpatients, but surprisingly among all study groups, including normal controls, the emergency room suicidal subjects were the least preoccupied with death. Partialing out depression, anxiety, and aggression specifically augmented the association between preoccupation with death and suicidality. Thus the relationship between death concept and suicidality appears to be a direct one. No correlation was found between suicidality and intelligence level. CONCLUSIONS: Elements of death concept distinguish suicidal from nonsuicidal as well as between hospitalized versus nonhospitalized suicidal adolescents. Thus the death concept evaluation is potentially valuable in the assessment of adolescents with a high risk for suicide.
