ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Child abuse is a phenomenon that confronts the child, family, and society with irretrievable physical and mental injuries, and its negative effects continue until adulthood. OBJECTIVES: The present study was conducted to identify and evaluate cases of abused children at a medical center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a descriptive-analytic study. The subjects were all children and adolescents who were referred to Imam Hussein hospital within 6 months due to physical or psychiatric reasons and were diagnosed with child abuse and neglect by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. The number of these children was 73. Children and their parents were assessed by schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia (SADS), Kiddie-SADS, and child abuse and demographic questionnaires. The statistical methods of mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: 56 cases (76%) were physically abused, 53 cases (72.6%) were emotionally abused, and 3 cases (12.3%) were neglected. The most common psychiatric disorder in abused children was ADHD (65.8%). The next most common were oppositional defiant disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, general anxiety disorder, and enuresis. About 80% of the abused children had at least one psychiatric disorder. The most common psychiatric disorders in mothers were general anxiety disorder (34.8%) and depression (33.3%), and in fathers, it was substance abuse (19.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Child abuse is a common phenomenon that relates to psychiatric disorders in the abused child or abuser parents. It seems that on-time identification and appropriate interventions can prevent further negative consequences for the child, family, and society.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Frequency of mood disorders in patients with chronic diseases, especially diabetes and its effects on life quality are dramatically increasing. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the relation between depression and quality of life in patients with diabetes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a cross sectional survey. Subjects were selected from 330 eligible people referred to the only diabetes clinic in Gorgan City during 6 months, using systematic random sampling. Beak Depression questionnaire and the brief questioner with 26 questions recommended by the World Health Organization (WHOQOL-BREF) were used to measure depression and quality of life, respectively. Data were analyzed through descriptive methods, Chi-square, Independent t test and linear regression model using SPSS16; moreover, P value < 0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS: In total, 330 patients with diabetes (35.5 % male and 64.5% women) were studied. The mean and standard deviation of their age and years involved with diabetes were 50.6 ± 9.0 and 5.4 ± 4.5 years, respectively. Range of age was 25 - 75 years, as well. The prevalence of depression in all patients with diabetes was 58.2% (124 mild, 56 medium, and 12 with severe depression). Hypertension was 13.9% more in diabetic patients with depression (P value < 0.001) and physical activity in 24.7% of the cases was less with a meaningful difference (P value = 0.01). The mean and standard deviation of quality of life in diabetic patients with and without depression was 50.7 ± 14 and 60.5 ± 13.3, respectively that was significant in two groups (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of depression is high in patients with diabetes and has a considerable impact on the consequences of diabetes and quality of life too.
