Emotional disorders in children with breath-holding spells and in their mothers

Abstract

The aim of the research was to study the emotional characteristics of children with breath-holding spells (BHS) and their mothers. The results of a survey of 80 young children examined for BHS are presented. To assess their emotional characteristics, we used the questionnaire of A.I. Zakharov, the questionnaire of G.P. Lavrentieva and T.M. Titarenko «Level of anxiety of a child», as well as the anxiety test of R. Temml, V. Amen, M. Dorka. The results of this study showed that children with BHS revealed a higher level of anxiety compared with healthy children in the control group. As the methods of research of the mother’s emotional characteristics was used the following: «Questionnaire for detecting signs of autonomic disorders» by A. M. Wayne, Personal scale manifestations of anxiety by A. J. Teylor in the adaptation of T. A. Nemchinova, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory of Ch.D. Spilberger in adaptation of Y.L. Hanin, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-26), adapted at the Research Institute of Bekhterev (St. Petersburg). According to the results of the research, most mothers of children with BHS had emotional disorders (high level of anxiety, alexithymia), which suggests the presence of a psychosomatic component in the Genesis of this disease.