Index depressive episode and antidepressant exposure were associated with illness characteristics of pediatric bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is a serious, recurrent disorder leading to severe functional impairment. As a first mood episode, index episode could affect the long-term course of the illness. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of youth with PBD from our multicenter, nationwide, naturalistic follow-up samples and to identify (i) the effects of index mood episode and (ii) the effect of previous antidepressant treatments on the age at mania onset of PBD. METHOD: The study sample consisted of 271 youth with BD-I followed by the child and adolescent psychiatry clinics of seven different university hospitals and three research state hospitals, representing six geographic regions across Turkey. All diagnoses were made according to structured interviews, and all data were retrospectively obtained from clinical records by the clinicians. RESULTS: When patients with index depressive/mixed episodes (IDE, n=129) and patients with index (hypo)manic episodes (IME, n=142) were compared, the total number of mood episodes and rapid cycling feature were significantly higher in the IDE group than in the IME group. The Cox regression analysis adjusted for sociodemographic and illness characteristics revealed female adolescents in the IDE group treated with antidepressants were more likely to have an earlier onset of mania (hazard ratio=2.03, 95% confidence interval=1.31-3.12, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: This is the first large-scale nationwide follow-up study in Turkey that indicated prior antidepressant treatments were associated with an earlier onset of mania in youth, particularly in adolescent females. Larger prospective studies are needed to identify neurodevelopmental processes underlying PBD and initiate prevention approaches.

[Maternal Attitudes, Irritability, Problem Solving Skills and Decision Making in Adolescents with Substance Use: Case-control Study]. / Madde Kullanan Ergenlerin Problem Çözme, Karar Verme Becerileri, Duygusal Tepkisellik Düzeyleri ve Anne Tutumlarinin Degerlendirilmesi: Olgu-Kontrol Çalismasi.

OBJECTIVE: Multiple risk factors affect the emergence of substance use disorders among adolescents and their families. To the best of our knowledge, the effects of irritability, problem solving, decision making skills and maternal attitudes on the severity of the substance use have not been evaluated on the same population. We aimed to evaluate the presence and the effects all of these variables on the severity of substance dependence. METHOD: The study included 40 adolescents, between 14 and 17 years of age, consulting the Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Diseases outpatient clinics with complaints of substance use and 40 age and gender matched healthy controls. The diagnoses were based on the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. Both groups completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Parent Attitude Research Instrument (PARI), the Adolescent Decision Making Questionnaire (ADMQ), the ProblemSolving Inventory (PSI) and the DSM-5 Level 2 Irritability Scale. The patient group were also tested on the Addiction Profile Index for Adolescents (API-AF). RESULTS: Problem solving skills scores of the patients were lower and the scores on the irritability scale completed by the patients and their parents were higher as compared to the control group. Complacency (indifference) in decision-making predicted the severity of the addiction. As the complacency in decision-making increased, the severity of addiction also increased. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that problem solving and decisionmaking skills and irritability levels of the adolescents together with the family attitudes, affect substance use disorder in adolescence. These variables should be considered in preventive and therapeutic approaches.

Do mothers with high sodium levels in their breast milk have high depression and anxiety scores?

Objective This study aimed to assess the possible association of high breast milk sodium levels with postpartum depression and anxiety. Methods A total of 150 mothers and their healthy, exclusively breastfed newborns aged 8 to 15 days were recruited. Mothers were asked to complete scales for evaluation of postnatal depression and anxiety following an interview for consent and sociodemographic data collection. Breast milk samples were obtained to measure sodium and potassium (K) levels. Results Forty-nine mothers had higher than expected breast milk Na concentrations and a high Na/K ratio. These mothers scored significantly higher on the scales of postnatal depression and state anxiety ( P = 0.018 and P = 0.048, respectively). Conclusions This study shows that compared to normal breast milk Na levels and Na/K ratio, high breast milk Na and high Na/K ratio, with possible serious consequences in infants, are associated with maternal depressive and anxious symptoms in the postpartum period.

Do serum BDNF levels vary in self-harm behavior among adolescents and are they correlated with traumatic experiences?

The aim of this study was to compare serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels between adolescents that harm themselves, those that receive psychiatric treatment but do not harm themselves, healthy adolescents, and childhood traumas and to investigate the relationship between traumatic experiences and serum BDNF levels. The cases were divided into two groups of 40 adolescents exhibiting self-harm behavior (self-harm/diagnosed group) and 30 adolescents receiving psychiatric treatment but not exhibiting self-harm behaviors (non self-harm/diagnosed group). The control group (healthy control group) consisted of 35 healthy adolescents with no psychiatric disorders or self-harm behaviors. The adolescents were asked to fill in the Inventory of Statements About Self Injury (ISAS) and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). For BDNF measurement, blood samples were taken from the cases and controls. The serum BDNF level of self-harming adolescents who used the self-cutting method was significantly lower than that of other groups, and serum BDNF levels decreased with the increase in the emotional neglect and abuse severity of self-harming adolescents during childhood. In our study, serum BDNF levels decreased with the increase in emotional abuse in self-harming adolescents. This finding may indicate that neuroplasticity can be affected by a negative emotional environment during the early period.

Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version for DSM-5 Level 2 Anger Scale (Child Form for Children Aged 11-17 Years and Parent Form for Children Aged 6-17 Years).

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) Level 2 Anger Scale. METHODS: The scale was prepared by translation and back translation of DSM-5 Level 2 Anger Scale. Study groups consisted of a clinical sample of cases diagnosed with depressive disorder and treated in a child and adolescent psychiatry unit and a community sample. The study was continued with 218 children and 160 parents. In the assessment process, child and parent forms of DSM-5 Level 2 Anger Scale and Children's Depression Inventory and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Parent Form were used. RESULTS: In the reliability analyses, the Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient values were found very high regarding child and parent forms. Item-total score correlation coefficients were high and very high, respectively, for child and parent forms indicating a statistical significance. As for construct validity, one factor was maintained for each form and was found to be consistent with the original form of the scale. As for concurrent validity, the child form of the scale showed significant correlation with Children's Depression Inventory, while the parent form showed significant correlation with Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire-Parent Form. CONCLUSION: It was found that the Turkish version of DSM-5 Level 2 Anger Scale could be utilized as a valid and reliable tool both in clinical practice and for research purposes.

Relationships between pediatric obesity and maternal emotional states and attitudes.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to investigate depression and anxiety levels of mothers whose child (7-11 years) and adolescent (12-18 years) offspring had obesity, as well as those mothers' attitudes toward their children and their family relationships. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional, case-control study of 100 dyads. All mothers completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Parental Attitude Research Instrument, and the Family Assessment Device. RESULTS: Maternal state anxiety in the group with obesity was significantly higher than controls (p = 0.03). As measured by Family Assessment Device, affective involvement (p = 0.05) and behavior control (p = 0.00) scores were significantly higher for those with obesity. Obesity and adolescence have independent effects on maternal state anxiety; affective involvement domain of family function is affected by both obesity and its interaction with adolescence, while behavior control domain is singularly affected by obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Our results may demonstrate that, for the mothers of children who have obesity, this condition may have an adverse effect on their lives and their family relationships. Pediatric obesity and developmental stage of offspring may have different effects on maternally reported psychometric variables. Cross-sectional design may hinder causal explanations. Further studies with longitudinal designs are needed.