Childhood masturbation behavior: symptom or disorder?
Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to examine the sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidity of children with masturbation.
Materials and Methods: The medical records of the patients who applied with the complaint of masturbation were collected retrospectively. The records of children who applied to the clinic on the same dates and whose psychiatric examinations were considered normal were collected to form the control group. 98 patients and 101 healthy children included the study. Sociodemographic data, parental psychopathologies, comorbid disorders, and medical histories were examined and compared with the healthy control group.
Results: Having less than two siblings was higher in the patient group. Fathers’ psychiatric disorders were higher in the patients’ group. When participants only older than 6 years are evaluated, this difference was higher. When the participants older than 6 years were compared, the history of seizures was significantly higher in the patient group. 54,08% of the patients had a comorbid psychiatric disorder. The most common comorbidities were attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (23.4%) and anxiety disorders (11.22%). The mean age of patients with ADHD was older than patients without ADHD.
Conclusions: In this study the frequency of preterm birth, epileptic seizure, and ADHD was higher in the patient group that older than 6 years of age. These results may suggest that patients older than 6 years of age may require further psychiatric and neurological examinations.
Materials and Methods: The medical records of the patients who applied with the complaint of masturbation were collected retrospectively. The records of children who applied to the clinic on the same dates and whose psychiatric examinations were considered normal were collected to form the control group. 98 patients and 101 healthy children included the study. Sociodemographic data, parental psychopathologies, comorbid disorders, and medical histories were examined and compared with the healthy control group.
Results: Having less than two siblings was higher in the patient group. Fathers’ psychiatric disorders were higher in the patients’ group. When participants only older than 6 years are evaluated, this difference was higher. When the participants older than 6 years were compared, the history of seizures was significantly higher in the patient group. 54,08% of the patients had a comorbid psychiatric disorder. The most common comorbidities were attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (23.4%) and anxiety disorders (11.22%). The mean age of patients with ADHD was older than patients without ADHD.
Conclusions: In this study the frequency of preterm birth, epileptic seizure, and ADHD was higher in the patient group that older than 6 years of age. These results may suggest that patients older than 6 years of age may require further psychiatric and neurological examinations.
Keywords
childhood masturbation , gratification disorder , attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder
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