Psychiatric disorders and family functioning in mothers of children admitting to the child psychiatry clinic with temper tantrum

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the family functioning and frequency of psychiatric disorders in mothers of pre-school children (between ages 2 and 6) who referred to child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic for anger, mischievousness, unruliness, temper tantrum complaints and who were not diagnosed any psychiatric disorder. Methods: Sixty-two children aged between 2 and 6 years and their mothers were included in the study. The control group consisted of 55 mothers of children who were not admitted to psychiatry clinic and without any psychiatric disorders. Diagnostic interviews of the parents were conducted with Structured Clinical Interview for Axis-I Disorders (SCID-I). Family functioning was evaluated with McMaster Family Assessment Device. Results: The frequency of psychopathology was higher in the mothers of children referred to child psychiatry outpatient clinic with anger, mischievousness, unruliness, and temper tantrum complaints than the controls. At least one psychiatric disorder was diagnosed in 51.6% of mothers of study group, meanwhile this ratio was 26.8% in the control group. More frequent psychiatric disorders were major depressive disorder (27.4%), generalized anxiety disorder (19.4%), and obsessive compulsive disorder (17.7%). Similarly, family functioning perceived by mothers in the study group was poorer than the controls. Conclusion: The results of this study suggested that half of the mothers who brought their children for the behavioral problems to the outpatient clinic were suffering from a psychiatric disorder. The mothers of children, who referred to the child psychiatry outpatient clinic with these complaints, need to be screened for psychiatric symptoms and guide for a psychiatric assistance if necessary.