COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy of adolescents with psychiatric disorders and their parents: data from a child psychiatry outpatient clinic.

BACKGROUND: Vaccinating adolescents and determining the factors influencing their vaccination status are critical in the event of a pandemic. One of the factors affecting vaccination is vaccine hesitancy, which is an increasing problem worldwide. Vaccine hesitancy and the vaccination rates of some special groups, such as psychiatric patients and their families, may differ from the general population. The purpose of this study was to identify any vaccine hesitancy to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in adolescents evaluated in a child psychiatry outpatient clinic, as well as to determine the factors influencing vaccination in these adolescents and their families. METHODS: Two hundred forty-eight adolescents examined in the child psychiatry outpatient clinic were evaluated using a semi-structured psychiatric interview, strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ), the fear of COVID-19 scale, and a form about coronavirus vaccine hesitancy. The parents completed the vaccine hesitancy scale and answered the vaccine hesitancy questions. RESULTS: The vaccination rate was higher in patients with anxiety disorders. The patient`s age (odds ratio [OR]:1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.26, 2.02), the parent`s vaccine hesitancy (OR: 0.91; CI:0.87-0.95), the status of chronic disease in a family member (OR: 2.26; CI:1.10, 4.65), and the vaccination status of the adolescent`s parents (OR:7.40; CI:1.39, 39.34) were found to be predictive for adolescent vaccination. While 2.8% of the adolescents said that they were definitely against getting vaccinated, 7.7% were undecided. While the rate of undecided parents was 7.3%, those who were against vaccination was 1.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Age, parental vaccine hesitancy, and parental vaccination status can affect the vaccination of adolescents admitted to a child psychiatry clinic. Recognizing vaccine hesitancy in adolescents admitted to a child psychiatry clinic and in their families is beneficial for public health.

Mother-child interactions among children with visual impairment: Addressing maternal attachment style, depression-anxiety symptoms, and child's behavioral problems.

OBJECTIVE: The birth of a visually impaired child leads to stress, disappointment, and medical challenges for the family due to the economic and financial costs, unmet expectations of other family members, and social embarrassment-isolation of the family from society. In these families, mothers are exposed to the stressors more often than other family members, because, in most families, they are the primary caregivers. In this study, we examined the relationship between maternal attachment styles, maternal depression and anxiety levels, and behavioral problems of children with visual impairment. METHODS: This is a case-control study. In the study group, there were 35 children with visual impairment, and in the control group, there were 31 healthy children. All mothers completed adult attachment style dimensions scales, beck depression, and anxiety inventories, and the aberrant behaviour checklist. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that children with visual impairment have higher levels of behavior problems including irritability, stereotypic behavior, and inappropriate speech when compared with healthy controls. Contrary to our expectations depression and anxiety, scores of mothers were similar, also, there was not a difference in terms of maternal attachment types. Interestingly, there was a positive relationship between secure attachment and depression among mothers of the visual impairment group. In other words, securely attached mothers were more depressive. On the other hand, there was a positive relationship between anxious/ambivalent attachment and the child's irritability. CONCLUSION: The relationship between maternal depression and secure attachment could be a consequence of higher maternal sensitivity due to a child's impairment and should be evaluated in future studies.

Successful completion of treadmill testing provides relief and reassurance for children with non-specific chest pain.

OBJECTIVE: Non-specific chest pain is one of the leading causes of admissions in paediatric cardiology outpatient clinics, and its management usually consists of extensive reassurance of patients and their families. As we have often observed that successful completion of treadmill testing during diagnostic work-up provides relief and reassurance in these patients and their families, we planned this study to quantitatively assess anxiety levels and perception of illness among children with non-specific chest pain before and after treadmill testing. METHOD: We studied 50 children (aged 11.8 ± 3.0 years, range 7-17 years; 24 females, 26 males) with a chief complaint of non-specific chest pain and negative history and echocardiography. They were asked to fill the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale before the treadmill testing and 1-10 days after successful completion of treadmill testing. RESULTS: Average total anxiety scores (36.38 ± 19.09 versus 33.36 ± 19.09, respectively) and average of total anxiety + depression scores (44.3 ± 24.92 versus 40.8 ± 26.97, respectively) of the children were found to be significantly lower after negative treadmill testing as compared to scores before testing (p < 0.05). Alterations in separation anxiety, panic, social phobia, obsession-compulsion scores were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Children with non-specific chest pain feel relieved and reassured after successful completion of treadmill testing. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first in the literature to show this relationship quantitatively.

Is Processing Speed (Gs) related to Hyperactivity (As a Narrow Cognitive Area of Gps): A Dimensional Approach to Heterogeneity of Clinical and WISC-IV Cognitive Profiles in ADHD From RDoC/HiTOP Perspective.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between symptomatology and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) cognitive profiles in Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), taking into account clinical heterogeneity. METHOD: The WISC-IV was administered to 60 children aged 6 to 13 years with ADHD who had not previously taken psychotropic medication. Conners Teacher-Rating Scale (CTRS-R/L) and Conners Parent-Rating Scale (CPRS-R/L) were completed by parents and teachers. RESULTS: We found a statistically significant positive correlation between the symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity and PSI (Processing Speed Index). A statistically significant negative correlation was found between the CTRS-R/L's DSM-IV Inattentive subscale and PRI (Perceptual Reasoning Index). No relationship was found between the inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity symptomatology with Working Memory Index (WMI). WMI stood out as the most frequently reported weakness among the four index scores. CONCLUSION: Considering the relationship between the cognitive domains of RDoC (Research Domain Criteria) and dimensions of HiTOP with the ADHD symptom clusters, the assessment of cognitive and behavioral symptoms may be useful for phenotyping ADHD. According to the CHC (Cattell-Horn-Carroll) theory; the positive correlation level between PSI, which is accepted as Gs, and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms in people with ADHD may be due to the fact that hyperactivity is one of the narrow cognitive domains of Gps.

Parental attitudes in children with persistent developmental stuttering: a case-control study

Abstract Background Clinical experiences emphasize the possible role of parental attitudes and behaviours in shaping stuttering behaviors however, the number of studies in this area is still insufficient. Objective Our aims were to compare parental attitudes in children with and without stuttering and to determine the effect of parental attitudes on stuttering severity. Methods We used an age and gender matched case control design with 24 children with stuttering and 22 healthy school children. Demographic information form and Parental Attitude Research Instrument (PARI) were enrolled by the mothers. Results According to our results; there was a statistically significant difference in parental attitudes of children with and without stuttering. Our results showed that excessive maternal control of the child and the expectations of obedience from the child more frequently observed in parents of the children with stuttering. Also there was a significant positive correlation with the severity of stuttering and excessive maternal control of the child, the expectations of obedience from the child and marital conflict. Discussion In conclusion, there was an important difference in parental styles of study group and this difference was related to the severity of stuttering. Clinicans should address parental attitudes in this samples.

Investigation of distinctive characteristics of children with specific learning disorder and borderline intellectual functioning

Abstract Background Borderline intelligence function (BIF) and specific learning disorder (SLD) are common diagnoses in children who are brought up for learning problems and school failure. Objective The aim of our study was to determine whether there were distinctive aspects of cognitive testing routinely used in evaluating SLD and BIF and investigate emotion regulation skills and minor neurologic symptoms. Method Sixty children (30 SLD and 30 BIF) who are currently attending primary school are selected for study. Visual Aural Digit Span Test - Form B, Gessel Figure Drawing Test, Bender Gestalt Visual Motor Perception Test, WISC-R, Emotion Regulation Scale (ERS) and Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) was administered. Results There was no statistically significant difference between groups in cognitive tests. The emotional regulation ability measured by the emotional regulation subscale was better in the SLD group than the BIF group (p = 0.014). In the NES, sensory integration (p = 0.008), motor coordination (p = 0.047) and other (p < 0.001) subscales showed higher scores in the BIF group. Discussion It has been shown that cognitive tests don't have distinguishing features in the evaluation of SLD and BIF. Emotion regulation subscale score of ERS and sensory integration, motor coordination, and total scores of NES can be used in both discrimination of groups.

The relationship between nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior and manners of death: a multicenter autopsy study

Background/aim: This study aimed to determine the relationship between nonsuicidal self-injurious behavior (NSSIB) and manners of death.Materials and methods: This study retrospectively evaluated 6604 autopsy cases evaluated at forensic medicine institutes of six major cities of Turkey. The study group consisted of all cases with NSSIB findings. The control group was created from cases without signs of NSSIB. Results: We found that the numbers of possible suicide and homicide cases in the NSSIB (+) group were significantly higher than in the NSSIB (-) group. The possibility of death due to suicide was 3.213 times and homicide was 2.004 times higher than natural deaths in the NSSIB (+) group compared with the NSSIB (-) group.Conclusion: The presence of NSSIB might increase the risk of death due to suicide and homicide, especially in adolescence.

Relationship between perceived parenting style with anxiety levels and loneliness in visually impaired children and adolescents

Abstract Background Visual impairment is a risk factor for psychiatric disorders in the affected children and adolescents, but there are only a limited number of studies concerning the mental health characteristics of visually impaired children and adolescents. Objective The aim of this study was to determine levels of loneliness and anxiety in visually impaired children and adolescents, to analyze parenting style perceived by visually impaired children and adolescents, to compare those with typically controls. Methods The study included 40 children and adolescents with visually impairment and 34 control group without visual impairment. Sociodemographic data form, the UCLA loneliness scale, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children were used in both groups. The parenting Style Scale was used to determine perceived parental attitudes. Results This study found more loneliness and trait anxiety levels in visually impaired children and adolescents compared to the control group. Authoritative parenting style was the most frequent type of parental attitude in the visually impaired group. In visual impairment group, loneliness level was higher in subgroups of authoritative and permissive-indulgent parenting style. However, level of trait anxiety was higher in authoritative parenting style subgroup compared to the control group. Discussion The results of this study showed higher loneliness and anxiety levels in visually impaired children and adolescents. Further studies are needed to determine psychopathological risks in this population.