Kahramanmaraş Depremi Sonrası Çocuk Psikiyatrisi’ne Başvuran Olguların Sosyodemografik Ve Klinik Özelliklerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Amaç: 6 Şubat 2023 tarihinde, Türkiye'nin Kahramanmaraş ilinde 7.7 ve 7.6 büyüklüğünde iki yıkıcı deprem meydana gelmiştir. Çocuklar ve ergenler, bu tür afetlerin ardından en fazla psikososyal etkilen-ime açık gruplardan biridir. Türkiye'nin büyük çocuk nüfusu göz önüne alındığında, bu yaş grubundaki ruh sağlığı sonuçlarının anlaşılması ulusal düzeyde önem taşımaktadır. Deprem sonrasında çocuklarda depresyon, anksiyete, travma sonrası stres belirtileri, davranış sorunları, gelişimsel gerileme, dikkat eksikliği, akademik başarıda düşüş ve öğrenme güçlükleri gibi psikiyatrik semptom ve bozukluklar ortaya çıkabilir. Bu çalışma, Kahramanmaraş depremlerinden etkilenen çocuk ve ergenlerin sosyodemografik özelliklerini, klinik profillerini, psikiyatrik tanılarını ve tedavi yaklaşımlarını inceleyerek literatüre katkı sağlamayı amaçlamaktadır. Materyal ve Metod: Bu retrospektif çalışmada, Şubat 2023 ile Şubat 2024 tarihleri arasında Elazığ Fethi Sekin Şehir Hastanesi çocuk ve ergen psikiyatrisi polikliniğine başvuran ve ICD kodu X34 (deprem mağduru) tanısı alan 164 hastanın dosya kayıtları incelenmiştir. Bulgular: En sık başvuru şikayetleri anksiyete, okuldan kaçınma ve depreme bağlı korkular (% 31,1) olarak belirlenmiştir. En yaygın psikiyatrik bozukluklar; dikkat eksikliği ve hiperaktivite bozukluğu (% 17,6), zihinsel yetersizlik (% 7,3), otizm spektrum bozukluğu (% 4,3) ve özgül öğrenme güçlüğü (% 3,6) gibi nörogelişimsel bozukluklar (toplam % 34,1) ile anksiyete bozuklukları (%15,9) olmuştur. Vakaların % 66’sında DSM-5 kriterlerine göre akut stres bozukluğu tanısı konmuştur. Sonuç: Depremler sonrasında, öngörüldüğü gibi nörogelişimsel ve içselleştirilmiş psikiyatrik bozuklukla-rın yaygın olduğu görülmüştür. Türkiye'de çocuk ve ergenlerin Kahramanmaraş depremlerinden uzun vadeli etkilenimlerini değerlendirecek ileriye dönük izlem çalışmalarına ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır.

Keywords

• afet
• travma
• deprem
• Türkiye
• çocuk psikiyatrisi
• ergen ruh sağlığı

An Examination of the Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics if Cases Presenting to the Child Psychiatry Clinicaifter the Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes

Abstract

Background: On February 6, 2023, two devastating earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6 struck Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye. Children and adolescents are among the most vulnerable groups to experi-ence significant psychosocial impacts following such disasters. Given Türkiye's large pediatric popula-tion, understanding the mental health outcomes in this group is of national importance. Post-earthquake psychiatric symptoms and disorders in children may include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms, behavioral issues, cognitive regression, attention deficits, academic de-cline, and learning difficulties. This study aims to contribute to the literature by examining the socio-demographic characteristics, clinical profiles, psychiatric diagnoses, and treatment approaches among pediatric patients affected by the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the medical records of 164 children and adolescents who were diagnosed under ICD code X34 (victims of earthquake) and presented to Elazig Fethi Sekin City Hospital the child psychiatry outpatient clinic between February 2023 and February 2024. Results: The most common presenting complaints were anxiety, school avoidance, and earthquake-related fears (31.1%). The most frequently identified psychiatric conditions were neurodevelopmental disorders (totaling 34.1%), including ADHD (17.6%), intellectual disability (7.3%), autism spectrum disorder (4.3%), and specific learning disorder (3.6%), as well as anxiety disorders (15.9%). Acute stress disorder, according to DSM-5, was diagnosed in 66% of the cases. Conclusions: As expected, there was a high prevalence of neurodevelopmental and internalizing psy-chiatric disorders following the earthquakes. Prospective, long-term follow-up studies assessing the enduring impact of the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes on children and adolescents in Türkiye are war-ranted.

Keywords

• disaster
• trauma
• earthquake
• Türkiye
• child psychiatry
• adolescent mental health

Supporting Institution

No financial support.

Ethical Statement

The study was approved by FIRAT University Noninterventional Clinical Research Ethical Committee (Decision no: 2024/05-05, Date: 21.03.2024).

Thanks

We thank our patients and their families for their contributions.

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