Şahin BODUR, Aslıhan SAYIN, Selahattin ŞENOL, Okşan DERİNÖZ, Şahnur ŞENER

Psychiatric symptoms and alexithymia in children and adolescents with non- organic pain:A Controlled study

Amaç: Çocuk ve ergenlerde organik bir neden saptanamayan ağrı, bir çok psikiyatrik bozukluktan, sosyal ilişkilerde yaşanan zorluklardan, akademik ve diğer yaşam güçlüklerinden kaynaklanabilir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, aleksitiminin çocukluk ve ergenlik çağındaki organik neden saptanamayan ağrı ve psikiyatrik belirtiler üzerindeki etkisini araştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Yaş grubu 7-17 arasında olan, yaş ve cinsiyet açısından eşleştirilmiş 15 major depresyonu olan hastaya, 15 organik neden saptanamayan ağrı şikayeti olan hastaya, ve 15 kişilik kontrol grubuna Toronto Aleksitimi Skalası (TAS), Beck Depresyon Envanteri (BDE) ve Durumduk-Sürekli Kaygı Ölçeği (DSKÖ) verilerek; üç grup arasında aleksitimi düzeyi, depresyon ve anksiyete açısında fark olup olmadığına bakılmıştır. Bulgular: TAS skoru kontrol grubunda en düşük (9.3±2.8), ağrı grubunda en yüksek (11.2±4.0) olmakla birlikte, gruplar arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark yoktu (p>0.05). Anksiyete düzeyleri açısından üç grup arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark yoktu, fakat depresyon düzeyi depresyon grubunda (18.0±10.8), ağrı (9.6±7.0) ve kontrol grubuna (9.0±2.8) göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede yüksekti (p=0.005). Ağrı grubunda, aleksitimi skorları DSKÖ skorları ile anlamlı ölçüde (p0.05). Sonuç: Bu çalışma organik bir neden saptanamayan baş/karın ağrısı olan çocuk ve ergenlerin, organik bir hastalığı olan çocuklar ve major depresyon hastalarından daha fazla aleksitimik olmadıklarını göstermektedir. Aleksitimik çocuk ve ergenlerde anksiyete, organik nedeni olamyan ağrının gelişimi açısından bir risk etkeni olabilir.

organik kökenli olmayan ağrısı olan çocuk ve ergenlerde psikiyatrik belirtiler ve aleksitimi:Kontrollu bir çalışma

Purpose: Pain without an organic cause may be the result of many psychiatric disorders and difficulties in social, educational, and relational life areas for children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of alexithymia on pain without an organic cause and psychiatric symptoms in children and adolescents. Methods: Fifteen patients with depression, 21 patients with complaints of pain, and 15 controls, all age and sex matched, were evaluated and compared for alexithymia, depression, and anxiety rated by the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC). Results: Although the lowest mean TAS score was in the control group (9.3±2.8) and the highest grade was in the pain group (11.2±4.0), there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p>0.05). The three groups did not significantly differ with regard to anxiety levels, but depression level was significantly higher in the depression group (18.0±10.8) than in both the pain (9.6±7.0) and control (9.0±2.8) groups (p=0.005). In the pain group, alexithymia scores were significantly (p0.05). Conclusions: This study shows that children and adolescents with non-organic headache/abdominal pain are not significantly more alexithymic than depression patients and controls. Anxiety may be a risk factor for the development of pain without an organic cause in alexithymic children and adolescents.

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