ALPHA PSYCHIATRY
Original Articles

Evaluation of psychiatric characteristics in children of parents with multiple sclerosis

1.

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Trakya University School of Medicine

2.

Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Trakya University School of Medicine

3.

Department of Neurology, Trakya University School of Medicine

Alpha Psychiatry 2020; 21: 515-522
DOI: 10.5455/apd.74903
Read: 843 Downloads: 513 Published: 01 October 2020

Objective: This study aims to investigate the psychiatric disorders in children with parental multiple sclerosis (MS) and to research the differences between without parental chronic disease. Methods: The children of the parents with MS diagnosis in the neurology department and the children of parents without chronic medical and psychiatric diseases were included in the study. Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) was applied to the children. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, Clinical Version (SCID-I-CV) was applied to parents with MS. Psychiatric characteristics of the parents and children were determined. The accompanying psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with paternal MS and the clinical features affecting these disorders were analyzed. Results: Fifty children and adolescents with parental MS were included in the study group and 75 children and adolescents without a chronic disease in the parents were included in the control group. The mean age of children in the study group was 12.7±2.9 years and 58% were girls. 52% of the parents with MS were diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. As a result of the evaluation, 54% of the children with parental MS were diagnosed with psychiatric disorder. The most common psychiatric diagnoses were anxiety disorders (30%), attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (22%), and tic disorders (16%), respectively. The Expanded Disability Status Scale scores of the parents of children with psychi-atric diagnoses were significantly higher than those of the children with no diagnosis. Conclusion: Children of MS patients have a high rate of psychiatric disorder. As the severity of MS increases, it is more common for children to be affected psychosocially. Children with parental MS should be follow-up for psychiatric disorders, especially for anxiety disorders and ADHD. [Anadolu Psikiyatri Derg 2020; 21(5.000): 515-522]

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