Ayşe Burcu Ayaz

Gender Differences in Sexually Abused Children and Adolescents: A Multicenter Study in Turkey

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine gender-based differences in abuse-related characteristics and post-abuse psychiatric disorders among sexually abused children and adolescents. The researchers retrospectively examined files, judicial reports, and social examination reports of 1,250 sexually abused youth cases. Results showed that boys were more often victimized by penetration, force, and physical violence. Incidence of sexual abuse by family members, familiar persons, and multiple persons was higher among girls. In addition, a higher rate of major depressive disorder as well as alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were found in sexually abused girls. No difference was observed between boys and girls in terms of post-traumatic stress disorder, conduct disorder, and other mental disorders. Intellectual disability was more frequent in boys.

Fine motor skills in children with rolandic epilepsy.

This study aimed to evaluate fine motor skills in children with rolandic epilepsy (RE). The research included 44 children diagnosed with typical RE and 44 controls matched in terms of age, gender, and level of education. Fine motor skills were evaluated with the Purdue Pegboard Test, and intelligence was measured with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. After controlling for the effect of intelligence on fine motor skills, the results showed that the children with RE did not perform as well as the controls in the PPT dominant hand, both hands, and assembly subtests. Epileptic focus, treatment status, type of antiepileptic treatment, age at the time of the first seizure, time since the last seizure, and total number of seizures did not affect motor skills. Rolandic epilepsy negatively affected fine motor skills regardless of the childrens level of intelligence.

Factors related with unintentional injuries in children with newly diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

The aim of the present study was to investigate the factors associated with unintentional injury in children newly diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One thousand four hundred and thirty children between the ages of 6 and 18 who were diagnosed with ADHD for the first time in child psychiatry outpatient clinics were included in the present study. The socio-demographic information of the children, their developmental histories, chronic physical health conditions, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and information obtained via the Turgay DSM-IV-based Child and Adolescent Disorders Screening and Rating Scale were examined retrospectively. It was determined that 12.8% of the children (n = 183) experienced unintentional injury. It was established that age, male gender, disruptive behavioural problems, and low education levels among mothers were predictive of unintentional injuries. The results of the present study suggest that behavioural problems accompanying ADHD and comorbid psychiatric disorders are important in terms of unintentional injuries.

Psychometric properties of the DY-BOCS in a Turkish sample of children and adolescents

BACKGROUND Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DY-BOCS) is a promising scale for assessing frequency and severity of symptom dimensions. The main objective of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the DY-BOCS in a large sample of children and adolescents from Turkey. METHODS We studied 143 children and adolescents, 7-18years, with well characterized DSM-IV-R OCD, ascertained from seven collaborating university or state hospital sites. We compared the DY-BOCS scores with the Childrens Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS), the Childrens Depression Inventory (CDI), the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) and the Child Behavior Checklist 6-18years (CBCL 6-18). RESULTS The internal consistency of the DY-BOCS symptom dimensions and inter-rater agreement of component scores were excellent. The agreement between global DY-BOCS score and the total CY-BOCS score was highly significant (Pearsons r=0.55, p<0.0001). Severity scores for individual symptom dimensions were independent of one another, only modestly correlating with the global ratings, and were also differentially related to ratings of depression, anxiety and tic severity. CONCLUSION The DY-BOCS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing multiple aspects of OCD symptom severity in children and adolescents from Turkey.

Medication Persistence in Turkish Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate medication persistence in Turkish children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The effects of sociodemographic characteristics, symptom severity of ADHD, comorbidity, and treatment-related factors influencing medication persistence in children diagnosed with ADHD were studied. METHODS Medication persistence over a continuous 12 month period was evaluated for 877 children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years of age, who were diagnosed with ADHD for the first time and started to receive medication. Medication persistence was determined according to whether or not taking the prescribed medication continued for 12 months after the initiation of treatment. Whereas the symptom severity of ADHD was assessed by using the Turgay Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV)-based Child and Adolescent Behaviour Disorders Screening and Rating Scale-Parents Form (T-DSM-IV-S), perceived medication efficacy after the first treatment was evaluated by the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement Scale (CGI-I). RESULTS In this study, medication persistence over a continuous 12 month period occurred at a rate of 30.2% (n=265) in the subjects studied. The hierarchical regression analysis conducted in this research revealed that younger age, higher hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom severity, use of long-acting methylphenidate, addition of another ADHD medication, addition of other psychotropic medications, absence of side effects, and perceived medication efficacy were associated with successful medication persistence over a continuous 12 month period. CONCLUSIONS Understanding the factors that affect medication persistence in ADHD may improve treatment efficacy and symptom control, while minimizing future risks.

The Interaction Between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Anxiety Symptoms

The interaction between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety symptoms Objective: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety disorders are commonly seen in the field of child psychiatry. Childhood ADHD and anxiety disorders are comorbid with an estimated rate of 13% to 50%. In this study, it was aimed to research anxiety symptoms and its relation with ADHD symptoms in children with ADHD. Method: Fifty children with ADHD and 49 healthy controls (aged 8-15 years) who do not have any psychiatric diagnosis were included in study. We used socio-demographic information form, Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS), Child Behavior Checklist for 4-18 years (CBCL), The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) both parent and child report for assessing these children. The diagnosis were made with Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). Results: The anxiety disorders comorbidity rate was 24% in ADHD group. The total scores of SCARED parent and children reports were higher in ADHD group. SCARED children report scores were higher than SCARED parent report scores in both groups. Discussion: Our results agree with the previously reported common anxiety comorbidity with ADHD and the association between attention deficit symptoms and anxiety symptoms. In our study, parents reported fewer anxiety symptoms in their children than children’s self reports. Clinicians should evaluate anxiety symptoms carefully in children with ADHD that could be unnoticed by their parents. The treatment should be determined according to the comorbidities.

Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder in subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Abstract Background This study aimed to compare symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children according to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtypes and children without ADHD. Method The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children – Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), the Childhood Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS) were used to evaluate the children. Results ASD symptoms were significantly higher in all ADHD subtypes. After controlling for age, gender, and CBCL social withdrawal score, the difference in ASD symptoms between the 3 ADHD subtypes was not significant. Conclusions Children with ADHD, regardless of subtype, had a similar risk of ASD symptoms.