Prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity and related variables in children with specific learning disabilities
Abstract
Purpose: Psychiatric comorbidity is more common in specific learning disabilities (SLDs) than in the general population. It is extremely common. Psychiatric disorders associated with SLD cause more cognitive, social, and emotional difficulties, further impair functionality and worsen prognosis. This study aimed to examine the frequency of psychiatric comorbidity and the sociodemographic characteristics and clinical variables associated with comorbidity in children with SLD.
Materials and Methods: This study included 226 children and adolescents aged 7-17 years who were diagnosed with specific learning disabilities and who applied to our outpatient clinic between March 2021 and August 2021. A battery of tests was administered to all participants, including the Reading Test, Writing Test, Mathematics Test, Clock Drawing Test, Head Right-Left Discrimination Test, and Bender Gestalt Visual-Motor Perception Test. In addition, the Kent-EGY Test-Porteus Maze Test (PMT) or the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) were administered. A semi-structured diagnostic interview was conducted with the participants and their parents to investigate the presence of any psychopathology in the past and present (Turkish version of the Turkish version of the Schedule for the Interview for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (DSM-5-K-SADS-PL-DSM-5-T) was applied.
Results: There was at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder in 81.4% of the participants. The most common comorbid disorder was attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, with a frequency of 73.5%. Other common disorders were disruptive behavior disorders, elimination disorders, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and tobacco use disorders. Severe types of SLD were more common in those with psychiatric comorbidities, and the mean age was significantly higher than in those without.
Conclusion: Being aware of the psychiatric comorbidity that children with SLD are called to face is essential for drawing up proper standards of assessment, hence ensuring these children have personalized psychiatric care and enhancing their quality of life.
Keywords
Specific learning disorder, Psychiatric comorbidity, Attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, Mood and anxiety disorders, Elimination disorders, Smoking
Supporting Institution
YOK
Ethical Statement
Etik kurul onayı: Çalışma için Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Sağlık Hizmetleri Uygulama ve Araştırma Hastanesi Klinik Araştırmalar Etik Kurulu'ndan 2021-02/19 karar numarası ile alınmıştır.
Hasta onayı: Çalışmaya katılımı sağlamak için ebeveyn ve hasta bilgilendirilip yazılı onam alınmıştır.
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