The Quality of Life (QoL) in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity of core symptoms, affecting 3-10% of school age children, as well as 4% of adults

Oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder co-occurrence increases the risk of Internet addiction in adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Objectives The aims of this cross-sectional study were to assess the prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) in a clinical sample of adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to detect the moderating effects of co-occurring oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) on the association between ADHD and IA. Methods The study group comprised 119 adolescent subjects who were consecutively referred to our outpatient clinic with a diagnosis of ADHD. The Turgay DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Disruptive Behavioral Disorders Screening and Rating Scale (T-DSM-IV-S) was completed by parents, and subjects were asked to complete the Internet Addiction Scale (IAS). Results The IAS results indicated that 63.9% of the participants (n = 76) fell into the IA group. Degree of IA was correlated with hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms but not with inattention symptoms. As compared to the ADHD-only group (without comorbid ODD/CD), ADHD + ODD/CD subjects returned significantly higher scores on the IAS. Conclusions As adolescents with ADHD are at high risk of developing IA, early IA detection and intervention is of great importance for this group. In addition, adolescents with ADHD + ODD/CD may be more vulnerable to IA than those in the ADHD-only group and may need to be more carefully assessed for IA

Birth order and reproductive stoppage in families of children with autism spectrum disorder

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to evaluate the birth order of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ways of delivery at birth, together with the phenomenon of reproductive stoppage and the number of siblings in the case families (families of children with ASD in the study). METHODS: One hundred and ninety-six subjects with ASD and 54 healthy children were included into the study. Demographics were collected. Autism Behaviour Checklist (ABC), Aberrant Behaviour Checklist (AbBC), and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) were administered. Depending on the type of data and on the objective of the assessment, Mann–Whitney U-test, chi-square test, and Spearman tests were used for statistical analysis. A p-value smaller than .05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: In the study group consisting of children with ASD, the rate of being the first-born child was determined to be more frequent, significantly, compared to the rate in the control group (p = .001). It was also found that 86.7% (n = 170) of the children in the ASD group had at least one sibling compared to the rate of 81.5% (n = 44) for their counterparts in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study compared ASD group to controls in terms of birth order, demonstrating a significant difference for being the first-born child in the ASD group. Birth order can be considered to be one of the several environmental factors that will help in understanding ASD, in which environmental factors can be the cause of phenotypic complexity. For all that, in our study, it was observed that having a child with autism in the Turkish sample did not affect the decision for the next pregnancy

Uncommon organic psychosis: an adolescent case of Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor encephalitis

Psychotic symptoms may present in many neurological and general medical conditions in which, diagnosing is sometimes difficult. We reported a 16-year-old female presenting acute psychotic symptoms and diagnosed with Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (Anti-NMDAR) encephalitis. In this case report, main characteristics of anti-NMDAR encephalitis were highlighted and reviewed. Clinicians, especially psychiatrists, should consider a differential diagnosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in young, female patients with acute onset of psychotic symptoms, disorganized behaviors, decreased level of consciousness and new onset seizures, and remember that laboratory and imaging tests can be negative for a period of time

Uncommon Organic Psychosis: an Adolescent Case of Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis

Psychotic symptoms may present in many neurological and general medical conditions in which, diagnosing is sometimes difficult. We reported a 16-year-old female presenting acute psychotic symptoms and diagnosed with Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (Anti-NMDAR) encephalitis. In this case report, main characteristics of anti-NMDAR encephalitis were highlighted and reviewed. Clinicians, especially psychiatrists, should consider a differential diagnosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in young, female patients with acute onset of psychotic symptoms, disorganized behaviors, decreased level of consciousness and new onset seizures, and remember that laboratory and imaging tests can be negative for a period of time

Transcultural differences in suicide attempts among children and adolescents with and without migration background, a multicentre study: in Vienna, Berlin, Istanbul

While suicide can occur throughout the lifespan, worldwide suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged between 15 and 29 years. The aim of this multicentre study, conducted in Austria, Germany and Turkey, is to investigate the transcultural differences of suicide attempts among children and adolescents with and without migration background. The present study is a retrospective analyses of the records of 247 young people, who were admitted after a suicide attempt to Emergency Outpatient Clinics of Departments of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the collaborating Universities including Medical University of Vienna, Charite University Medicine Berlin and Cerrahpasa School of Medicine and Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Mental Health in Istanbul over a 3-year period. The results of the present study show significant transcultural differences between minors with and without migration background in regard to triggering reasons, method of suicide attempts and psychiatric diagnosis. The trigger event "intra-familial conflicts" and the use of "low-risk methods" for their suicide attempt were more frequent among patients with migration background. Moreover among native parents living in Vienna and Berlin divorce of parents were more frequent compared to parents living in Istanbul and migrants in Vienna. These results can be partly explained by cultural differences between migrants and host society. Also disadvantages in socio-economic situations of migrants and their poorer access to the healthcare system can mostly lead to acute and delayed treatments. Larger longitudinal studies are needed to understand better the impact of migration on the suicidal behaviour of young people

Neuropeptide Y Levels in Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in adolescence, however, the etiology has not been described. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one potential factor that may be involved in the etiology of ADHD. The goal of this study was to evaluate NPY levels in children with ADHD and compare the findings to healthy controls. Methods: Forty-eight ADHD patients and 40 healthy controls were included in this study. The age range of ADHD patients was 6 to 16 years. All patients were diagnosed according to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). Results: The NPY levels of children with ADHD were compared to healthy controls but were not significantly different (t (86)= -0.887, p= 0.378). NPY levels were similar (F= 0.191, p= 0.826) between ADHD presentations, and included 8 children with predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type (14.3\%), 14 children with predominantly inattentive type (30.4\%), and 26 children with a combined type (55.4\%). There was also no difference between ADHD patients using medical treatment, ADHD patients not using medical treatment, and control subjects in terms of NPY levels (F= 0.572, p= 0.566). There was a significant positive correlation between age and NPY levels in the ADHD group (r= 0.349, p= 0.015). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the NPY levels of ADHD subjects were not different than those of controls. Future studies with homogeneous phenotypes and a larger sample population are needed

Prevalence of Childhood Affective disorders in Turkey: An epidemiological study

Aim: To determine the prevalence of affective disorders in Turkey among a representative sample of Turkish population. Methods: This study was conducted as a part of the "The Epidemiology of Childhood Psychopathology in Turkey" (EPICPAT-T) Study, which was designed by the Turkish Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. The inclusion criterion was being a student between the second and fourth grades in the schools assigned as study centers. The assessment tools used were the K-SADS-PL, and a sociodemographic form that was designed by the authors. Impairment was assessed via a 3 point-Likert type scale independently rated by a parent and a teacher. Results: A total of 5842 participants were included in the analyses. The prevalence of affective disorders was 2.5 % without considering impairment and 1.6 % when impairment was taken into account. In our sample, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder was lacking, thus depressive disorders constituted all the cases. Among depressive disorders with impairment, major depressive disorder (MDD) (prevalence of 1.06%) was the most common, followed by dysthymia (prevalence of 0.2%), adjustment disorder with depressive features (prevalence of 0.17%), and depressive disorder-NOS (prevalence of 0.14%). There were no statistically significant gender differences for depression. Maternal psychopathology and paternal physical illness were predictors of affective disorders with pervasive impairment. Conclusion: MDD was the most common depressive disorder among Turkish children in this nationwide epidemiological study. This highlights the severe nature of depression and the importance of early interventions. Populations with maternal psychopathology and paternal physical illness may be the most appropriate targets for interventions to prevent and treat depression in children and adolescents