Göğüs Ağrısı Olan Çocuklarda Standart Bir Ölçek Kullanılarak Anksiyete ve Depresyon Düzeylerinin Araştırılması

Abstract

Objective: Chest pain in children may be caused by psychogenic disorders. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between chest pain and the levels of anxiety and depression in children. Method: Children admitted to a pediatric cardiology unit with the complaint of chest pain and healthy controls were included. History of the cases, physical examination findings, and the results of biochemical tests, electrocardiogram, 24-h Holter monitoring and echocardiographic examination were recorded. The group with chest pain and the control group were compared using the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child Version. Results: A total of 100 children with chest pain [46 (46.0%) boys and 54 (54.0%) girls; mean age, 12.5 years] and 55 healthy controls [25 (45.5%) boys and 30 (54.5%) girls; mean age, 13.1 years] were included into the study. The psychiatric scale was applied to children aged 8-18 years (93 cases with chest pain and 54 control subjects). The scores of all the subscales were statistically higher in the group with chest pain than in the control group (generalized anxiety disorder: 7.39±3.4 versus 5.48±2.6, P=0.001; major depressive disorder: 8.84±6.1 versus 6.27±4.7, P=0.009; panic disorder: 9.07±6.1 versus 4.92±4.7, P=0.000; separation anxiety disorder: 5.53±3.7 versus 3.77±3.3, P=0.005; obsessive-compulsive disorder: 6.48±3.6 versus 4.74±3.3, P=0.005; social anxiety disorder: 10.1±5.5 versus 7.81±4.9, P=0.010). Conclusion: There seems to be an association between increased levels of anxiety and depression disorders and chest pain in children. A comprehensive psychiatric assessment should be carried out in pediatric chest pain cases in addition to some basic cardiac evaluations.