Depression In School-aged Children Research Articles

Shining Light into Teenage Depression

Teenagers often suffer from depression, which may be caused by many reasons: poor grades, overweight, problems with friends or parents—as a result, they are upset and demotivated. Teachers sometimes find their students refusing to participate in classroom activities due to “a bad day” or “lack of energy”. They often avoid coming to school and prefer staying at home. Probably, they have depression, which is characterized as the oppression of mental activity, mainly in its emotional-volitional component. Unlike innate neurodiversity, depression is an acquired disorder that can be cured successfully with the help of clinical psychologists or psychiatrists. Nevertheless, it often accompanies the forenamed psychological or neurological disorders. This article researches depression in schoolchildren as one of the mental health conditions and how to help them overcome it and improve their school performance.

Effortful control and depression in school-age children: The chain mediating role of emotion regulation ability and cognitive reappraisal strategy

BackgroundDepression is one of the main mental health problems facing primary school students. Temperamental effortful control (EC) has received much attention as a protective factor to depression. The present study aimed to verify the association of effortful control and children's depression and explore the mediating roles of emotion regulation ability (ERA) and strategies (ERSs) in the relationship. MethodsA total of 449 valid primary school students in grades 3 to 6 were included in the study. Self-report and parent-report questionnaires were used to collect data on key variables, including EC, depression, ERA and ERSs. ResultsGender and whether-native-or-not had significant effects on children's depression. EC was significantly and negatively correlated with children's depression; EC and depression were significantly correlated with Emotion Regulation dimension of ERA and cognitive reappraisal; but there was no correlation between EC and Lability/Negativity, as well as between expression suppression and depression. EmotionRegulation and cognitive reappraisal played mediating effects in the relationship between EC and depression parallelly and sequentially. LimitationsThe study used cross-sectional design and the sample was restricted to Chinese primary school students. Additionally, the types and research perspectives of ERSs can be further expanded. ConclusionsEC can reduce the level of children's depression by improving the abilities of Emotion Regulation and the use of cognitive reappraisal strategy, as well as the chain mediating effects of the two.

MAIN FACTORS OF THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN

Relevance. It is widely recognized that COVID-19 disease is significant problem for public health. The COVID-19 pandemic evolves, the long-term health impacts are continually increasing and children health is particular concern. The duration of exposure, heterogeneity and plurality of biopsychosocial factors have to unpredictable consequences on the mental health of vulnerable populations such as children and adolescents.
 Objective. Determination the significant factors affecting the mental health of schoolchildren during the pandemic in order to further develop the health-saving measures.
 Methods. During implementation of quarantine measures due to COVID-19 pandemic, we studied the peculiarities of schoolchildren’s life and mental health in 2020-2021 (n=1393) from all regions of Ukraine. Q-RAPH, GPAQ, RCADS-P-25 questionnaires were used. Prior to the pandemic, MH survey of 500 schoolchildren was conducted using “Children’s Neuroses Questionnaire” method. Descriptive statistics, Student's coefficients, univariate and multivariate analysis of variance, followed by a posteriori estimation of mean differences according to the Bonferroni test, conjugation tables, logistic and linear regression models were used.
 Results. Сonstant stay in an apartment during quarantine leads to an increase in the chances of anxiety-depressive disorders on average by 2.5 times. During the pandemic for the observation period, both duration and frequency of walks were significantly lower for the children with mental disorders. The likelihood of pathological increases in anxiety and depression in school age children without interactive learning is 1.8 times greater. Pairwise comparisons of adjusted means using the Bonferroni test demonstrated that the higher is the BMI - the shorter is the sleep (β=-1.9; p=0.004), the longer is the sedentary behavior duration (β=3.4; p=0.001) - the shorter is MVPA (β =-1,4; p=0,005). It was established that depressive disorders are 2.4 times more common among the children with chronic diseases than among the healthy children (χ2 =51.1; p<0.001). In the course of 3d linear modeling of normalized indicators we can see that a decrease in both light physical activity (LPA) and MVPA leads to deterioration in mental health indicators of the children.
 Conclusions. Main factors of the negative impact on children's mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic are: permanent stay at home (OR=2.02; CI 1.39-2.93), frequency of walks less than 4 times a week and duration less than 220 minutes per week (OR=1.96; CI 1.12-3.45), non-interactive remote learning (OR=1.78; CI 1.17-2.69), overweight and obesity of schoolchildren (OR=1 .52; CI 1.11-2.08), presence of chronic diseases (OR=2.79; CI 1.99-3.91), anxiety disorders in parents (OR=3.67; CI 1.02-13,25) and their lack of higher education (OR=1,27; CI 1,03-1,56).
 The obtained results must be taken into account when developing further preventive strategies and tactics for overcoming the pandemic consequences.

Changes in fecal microbiota composition and the cytokine expression profile in school-aged children with depression: A case-control study.

Depression in childhood negatively affects the growth and development, school performance, and peer or family relationships of affected children, and may even lead to suicide. Despite this, its etiology and pathophysiology remain largely unknown. Increasing evidence supports that gut microbiota plays a vital role in the development of childhood depression. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms, as most clinical studies investigating the link between gut microbiota and depression have been undertaken in adult cohorts. In present study, a total of 140 school-aged children (6–12 years) were enrolled, including 92 with depression (male/female: 42/50) and 48 healthy controls (male/female: 22/26) from Lishui, Zhejiang, China. Illumina sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was used to investigate gut microbiota profiles while Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine 27-plex Panel was employed to explore host immune response. We found that, compared with healthy controls, children with depression had greater bacterial richness and altered β-diversity. Pro-inflammatory genera such as Streptococcus were enriched in the depression group, whereas anti-inflammatory genera such as Faecalibacterium were reduced, as determined by linear discriminant analysis effect size. These changes corresponded to altered bacterial functions, especially the production of immunomodulatory metabolites. We also identified the presence of a complex inflammatory condition in children with depression, characterized by increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17 and decreased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the differential cytokine abundance was closely linked to changes in gut microbiota of children with depression. In summary, key functional genera, such as Streptococcus and Faecalibacterium, alone or in combination, could serve as novel and powerful non-invasive biomarkers to distinguish between children with depression from healthy ones. This study was the first to demonstrate that, in Chinese children with depression, gut microbiota homeostasis is disrupted, concomitant with the activation of a complex pro-inflammatory response. These findings suggest that gut microbiota might play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression in school-aged children, while key functional bacteria in gut may serve as novel targets for non-invasive diagnosis and patient-tailored early precise intervention in children with depression.

Temperament, anxiety, and depression in school-age children who stutter

Purpose: The main aim of this study was to gain insight into whether temperament and/or stuttering severity were associated with anxiety and depression in children who stutter. Additionally, the study also provided an indication into the prevalence of anxiety and depression in children who stutter in a clinical cohort.Method: The participants were 132 English-speaking children (105 boys and 27 girls) between 9;0 and 14;11 years old (M = 11;8, SD = 1;10) and their mothers. At their first visit to a specialist center for children who stutter, mothers and children completed the relevant versions of the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R; Ellis & Rothbart, 2001) and a screening of children's anxiety and depression, using the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS; Chorpita et al., 2000). Stuttering was evaluated using the Stuttering Severity Instrument Fourth Edition (SSI-4). Correlations were conducted between child and parent versions of the EATQ-R and RCADS; EATQ-R and RCADS; as well as the SSI-4 and RCADS. A comparison was made between those children who scored below the clinical threshold for anxiety and depression, and those who scored above.Results: Significant correlations were found for all mother and child EATQ-R factors and RCADS scales (except for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Correlations were also found between the child- and mother-reported temperament factors of positive reactivity, negative reactivity, and self-regulation and anxiety and depression. Children who scored above the clinical threshold for any category of anxiety or depression had significantly lower positive reactivity and higher negative reactivity scores, compared to those who scored below the threshold. There were no differences between the two groups with regard to SSI-4 scores.Conclusions: This is the first study to evaluate associations between temperament and anxiety and depression in children who stutter. Higher negative reactivity scores and lower positive reactivity and self-regulation scores are associated with elevated levels of anxiety and depression in children who stutter. Further, those who score above the clinical threshold have significantly higher levels of negative reactivity and lower levels of positive reactivity compared to those scoring below the threshold. Findings suggest that levels of anxiety that reach clinical threshold are more prevalent in children who stutter than would be expected based on population data. Current findings have implications for both the assessment and therapy of children who stutter presenting at clinics for support.

Depression in childhood: The role of children's exposure to intimate partner violence and maternal mental disorders

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) is a global problem with high prevalence rates, and is linked to maternal mental disorders (MMD). Children's exposure to IPV (CEIPV) can have impacts on their physical and mental health, including depression. ObjectiveTo analyze the associations between exposure to both CEIPV and MMD and depression in schoolchildren. Participants and setting630 mother-child pairs were evaluated in a poor urban district in Recife, Northeast Brazil. MethodsA cohort study investigated the effects of IPV during pregnancy, postpartum and six to nine years after delivery. Women were asked about their experience of IPV, their own mental health, and the exposure of their child to violence. The child's mood was reported by the mother, using the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ). Ten types of CEIPV, and the age of onset of exposure, were compared with the child's subsequent risk of depression. ResultsIPV was associated with MMD in 31.9% of the women at some period of time. Depressive symptoms were reported in 15.7% of school-age children. All types of CEIPV were associated with depression at school age. Multivariable analyses of exposure to IPV and MMD at different ages showed that exposure to both IPV and MMD in the first year of life had the strongest association with childhood depression (OR = 9.1; 95% CI: 2.4–33.9). ConclusionsThe frequency of CEIPV and MMD, and the high prevalence of depression at school age, shows the importance of assessing MMD and identifying exposure to IPV in pregnancy and the early years.

Faktor- Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Depresi Anak Usia Sekolah: Kajian Literatur

Introduction: School-age children are a vulnerable group who have a high risk of experiencing psychosocial problems, one of which is depression. School-age children who experience depression have adverse effects, such as increasing the risk of committing suicide, being dragged into bad habits, and falling into alcohol abuse, or other drugs as a way to calm down to feel better. Depression is caused by several factors, by knowing these factors can be done to prevent depression in school-age children, so that the incidence of depression in school-age children can be minimized. This study aims to determine the factors that influence depression in school-age children.Methods: The method used in this research is the study of literature. Researchers reviewed 10 articles sourced from Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Springer Link with keywords risk factor, depression, and school-age children.Results: The results of the literature study indicate that the factors that influence depression in school-age children, namely the pressure experienced every day, the school environment, family environment, family finances, maternal depression, premature, and emotional intelligence.Conclusion: Further quantitative research on the factors that influence depression can provide a real picture of the causes of depression in school-aged children in Indonesia.

A 12-month follow-up of a transdiagnostic indicated prevention of internalizing symptoms in school-aged children: the results from the EMOTION study

BackgroundAnxious and depressive symptoms in youth are highly prevalent, are often comorbid and have a high rate of relapse. Preventive interventions are promising, but follow-up results are lacking. The transdiagnostic EMOTION program is an indicated preventive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention targeting children aged 8–12 years.MethodsThe present study investigates the 12 months follow-up effects of the EMOTION intervention in a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 795 children that included both child self-reports and parental reports.ResultsMixed model analyses showed a larger decrease of symptoms in the intervention group than in the control group for child self-reported anxious symptoms (The Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) difference 4.56, CI 1.83 to 7.29, p = .001). Parental reports for both anxious (MASC difference 2.50, CI .26 to 4.74, p = .029) and depressive (The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire-short form (SMFQ) difference 1.55, CI .83 to 2.26, p ≤ .001) symptoms in children also showed a reduction. No statistically significant difference was found for child self-reported depressive symptoms (SMFQ difference .69, CI − .22 to 1.60, p = .139).ConclusionThe transdiagnostic EMOTION program has shown the potential for long-term reductions in symptoms of both anxiety and depression in school-aged children. However, results regarding depressive symptoms must be considered preliminary as only parental report indicated effect.Trial registration The regional ethics committee (REC) of Norway approved the study. Registration number: 2013/1909; Project title: Coping Kids: a randomized controlled study of a new indicated preventive intervention for children with symptoms of anxiety and depression. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier; NCT02340637.

Effect of Recreational Therapy on Attention and Depression in School Children with Learning Difficulties

Background: Learning difficulty applies to those children who have significantly greater difficulty inlearning than the majority of their age and who can’t meet the “normal” requirements of a classroom. Astudy conducted in Chandigarh gave prevalence of learning disabilities of 3-10% among student population.There were more number of boys diagnosed with specific learning disability at a high risk for problemsin attention, learning and psychological adjustment along with other associated behavioural problems.Recreational therapy utilizes leisure activities and other interest activities as interventions to address theneeds of individuals with disability as a means of recovery and well-being.Method: Forty school children with learning difficulties were selected and randomly divided in two groups.Group A subjects were given recreational therapy 4 times per week for 4 weeks and Group B subjects weregiven conventional treatment.Results: Statistically significant difference in the Moss Attention Rating Scale (MARS) scores and GlasgowDepression Scale (GDS) scores were seen between the two groups. It indicated that there was significantlyless inattention (p < 0.0001) and less depression (p = 0.0207) in the interventional group subjects.Conclusion: Evidence to support the use of recreational therapy in reducing the depression and increasingthe attention in school children with learning difficulties was provided in this study. This study will help inmanaging the associated problems like inattention and depression.Keywords: Recreational therapy, Learning Disabilities, Mandala art therapy, Clay shape art therapy,School children, Attention, Depression.

ВПЛИВ ДИСТАНЦІЙНОГО НАВЧАННЯ ШКОЛЯРІВ 1–11 КЛАСІВ ПІД ЧАС ПАНДЕМІЇ COVID-19 НА ЇХ ПСИХОЕМОЦІЙНИЙ СТАН

The introduction of distance education (DE) challenged all participants in the educational process and it was impacting the well-being of children. The purpose of the study was investigating the impact of different forms of DE on values of anxiety and depression (A&D) in school-age children. Methods. An online survey of 760 respondents was conducted with use RCADS. All respondents signed informed consent. ANOVA was used for statistical analysis (STATISTICA 8.0). The models were adjusted for age and gender of respondents. Results. More than 20% of parents have reported their own and their children's high psychological stress during DE. The adaptation was easier and faster for respondents who were able to organize a virtual communication and got support from teachers. Pathological increase of the level A&D has been detected in 14.4±1.3% of respondents. There were 2.8 times more girls with clinical A&D than boys (p<0.001). The DE formats of "All-Ukrainian online school" and individual learning did not significantly affect the level of A&D in school-age children (p>0.5). DE in the form of tasks in messengers and social networks significantly increased the level A&D (p<0.001), and DE offline increased only the level of Anxiety (p<0.05). Reductions the level A&D have been identified in online lessons with the teacher and the schoolfellows (p<0.001). The chances of increasing the level of anxiety and depression in school-age children grow in 1.8 times when using non-interactive forms of education (OR=1.78; CI 1.17-2.69; p<0.01). Conclusions. Teacher support and online lessons help reduce psychological discomfort during distance education. The surveillance the mental health of children is required during the implementation of various forms of DE.

Symptoms of anxiety and depression in schoolchildren with and without developmental coordination disorder.

We examined whether reported higher frequencies of anxiety and depression symptoms are related to the presence of developmental coordination disorder in school-age Brazilian children. A total of 272 children were assigned to six groups according to age and motor performance. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children-Second Edition evaluated the motor performance. The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale and the Child Depression Inventory assessed anxiety and depression symptoms, respectively. Brazilian children are at high risk for anxiety, regardless of motor performance and age. However, children with developmental coordination disorder report significantly more depressive symptomatology in 10-12 years compared to typically developing children.

Validation of the Maria Kovacs Children’s Depression Inventory to Assess Depression among School Children in Afghanistan

Background & aim: Four decades of war in Afghanistan has led to an increased rate of depression among the population. Given the importance of depression in adolescents, it is essential to introduce an appropriate tool for the early detection of depression in adolescents. Therefore, this study was conducted to standardize the Maria Kovacs Questionnaire among schoolchildren in Herat, Afghanistan. Methods: In order to validate the Maria Kovacs children’s depression inventory for the reference group, 57385 adult girls and boys studying in secondary schools in the Herat were selected during 2016. The 500 high school students (grades 7, 8, and 9) were randomly selected and questionnaires were localized by the researcher. Moreover, the reliability of the test was evaluated by means of a mock-up test in split-half format, and Beck's depression inventor was used as gold standard for identifying depression in school children. Results: Using the split-half method, the two inventories of Maria Kovacs and Beck were reported to have the reliability of 0.789 and 0.526, respectively. Moreover, the comparison of Maria Kovacs with Beck inventory (as criterion test) indicated that when the score of non-depression in Kovacs inventory ranged 0-8, it had the sensitivity of 97.2%, specificity of 46.1%, positive, and negative predictive value of 85.7%. Conclusion: According to the obtained sensitivity of the investigated group, Maria Kovacs Depression Inventory has an acceptable level of reliability and validity to be implemented in the target community. So it could be recommended as an appropriate scale to assess depression among school childrenin Afghanistan.

Prevention of anxiety and depression in school children: Effectiveness of the transdiagnostic EMOTION program.

The objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic program (EMOTION, Coping Kids Managing Anxiety and Depression) targeting symptoms of anxiety and depression in schoolchildren by comparing the intervention condition (EC) to a control condition (CC). A clustered randomized design was used with schools as the unit of randomization. Children (N = 1686) aged 8-12 years in 36 schools completed screening using the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale (MASC-Child) and The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire Short version (SMFQ-Child). Scoring 1 SD above a population-based mean on anxiety and/or depression, 873 children were invited to participate. Intent-to-treat analyses were performed, and mixed-effects models were used. Analyses revealed significant reductions of anxious and depressive symptoms as reported by the children, in which children in the intervention condition EC had almost twice the reduction in symptoms compared with the control condition CC. For parent report of the child's depressive symptoms, there was a significant decrease of symptoms in the intervention condition EC compared with CC. However, parents did not report a significant decrease in anxious symptoms in the intervention condition EC as compared with CC. A transdiagnostic prevention program, provided in schools, was successful in reducing youth-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression and parent-reported depression. The EMOTION program has the potential to reduce the incidence of anxious and depressive disorders in youth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Factors Influencing the Experience of Depression among School-aged Children from Multicultural Families

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting the experience of depression in school-aged children from multicultural families. Methods: Data from 1,812 school-aged children of multicultural families were collected from the 2015 National Multicultural Family Survey. Logisti...

Long-Term Outcome of a Cluster-Randomized Universal Prevention Trial Targeting Anxiety and Depression in School Children

The present study concerns a 3-year follow-up of a universal prevention trial targeting anxiety and depressive symptoms in school children. In addition to evaluating the long-term effect of the prevention program, we also examined attrition and its effect on the outcome. High rates of attrition have commonly been observed in studies in the field. However, the role of attrition is not sufficiently understood regarding internal and external validity biases. The current study comprised 695 children (aged 8–11 at baseline) from 17 schools in Sweden. Schools were cluster-randomized to either the intervention or control condition. Children completed measures of anxiety and depressive symptoms and parents completed measures of their child’s anxiety and general mental health. We found no evidence of long-term effects of the prevention program, except for a small effect regarding parent reports of child anxiety. However, that effect was not found to be of clinical significance. Regarding attrition, children with missing data at the 3-year follow-up displayed higher levels of psychiatric symptoms at baseline and increasing symptoms across time. Furthermore, children in the control condition with missing follow-up data were found to be significantly deteriorated across time compared to the corresponding children in the intervention condition regarding depressive symptoms and total difficulties. In other words, attrition served as a moderator of the effect, which suggests that the overall result was biased toward a null-result. Our study highlights that large and nonrandom attrition severely limits the validity of the results. Further, given the common problem of retaining participants in long-term evaluations of school-based prevention trials, previous studies may suffer from the same limitations as the current study.

The Longitudinal Effects of School Adjustment on Depression in School-Aged Children: Focusing on Teacher-Child Relationships and School Rules

본 연구는 학령기 아동이 지각하는 교사관계 및 학교규칙이 우울에 미치는 영향을 종단적으로 살펴보는 것이다. 이를 위해 한국아동·청소년패널조사의 초등학교 1학년 패널자료 가운에 2-4차년도(2011-2013) 자료를 이용하였으며, 연구대상은 2학년에서 4학년 2,342명이다. 우울에 영향을 주는 교사관계와 학교규칙을 종단적으로 알아보기 위하여 잠재성장모형으로 분석하였다. 주요결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 학령기 아동은 3년 동안 교사관계와 학교규칙이 감소하였으나, 우울은 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 교사관계와 학교규칙은 학령기 아동의 우울에 종단적으로 영향을 주는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 연구결과를 기초로 학령기 아동의 학교적응과 우울에 관함 함의를 논의하였다.

Asociación entre obesidad y depresión infantil en población escolar de una unidad de medicina familiar en Morelia, Michoacán

Objetivo: identificar la relación entre obesidad y depresión infantil en escolares de 8 a 12 años de edad de la unidad de medicina familiar (umf) no. 80, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (imss), Morelia, Michoacán. Métodos: estudio prospectivo, transversal y observacional, se estudiaron 165 niños, de ambos sexos, con obesidad y peso normal a los cuales se les aplicó la Children’s Depression Scale (cds). Las diferencias en las medias se analizaron con la prueba t de Student para muestras independientes; χ2 y regresión logística se utilizaron para establecer asociación y riesgo, respectivamente. Resultados: de los 165 niños, 78 (47.3%) eran obesos y 87 (52.7%) no obesos; 91 (55.2%) niñas y 74 (44.8%) niños; del total, 34 (20.6%) tuvieron depresión; de estos últimos 22 (64.7%) eran obesos y 12 (35.3%) no obesos; 25 (70.5%) eran mujeres y nueve (26.5.4%) hombres. La obesidad materna se asoció con la obesidad infantil (χ2=11.733, p<0.0001); los problemas sociales (ps) (χ2=5.100, p=0.019; or=2.380, ic 95% 1.108-5.112, p=0.026) y una autoestima (ae) baja (χ2=4.329, p=0.029; or=2.236, ic 95% 1.037-4.823, p=0.040), evaluados con las subescalas del cds, se asocian y confieren riesgo de depresión infantil. Conclusiones: la obesidad infantil se asocia con el desarrollo de depresión en la población infantil y el cds es un instrumento útil para identificarla. Se requiere la implementación de programas especiales o reforzar los existentes para prevenirla y controlarla.

Asociación entre obesidad y depresión infantil en población escolar de una unidad de medicina familiar en Morelia, Michoacán

Objective: identify the relation between obesity and child depression in school children from 8 to 12 years of the Family Medicine no. 80, of the Mexican Social Security Institute (imss), in Morelia, Michoacan. Methods: prospective, cross-sectional and observational study, where 165 children were included, of both sexes, with obesity and normal weight to which the Children’s Depression Scale (cds) was applied. The differences in the media were analyzed with the t of Student test for independent samples; the χ2 and logistics regression were used to establish association and risk, respectively. Results: of the 156 children, 78 (47.3%) were obese and 87 (52.7%) non-obese; 91 (55.2%) girls and 74 (44.8%) boys; 34 (20.6%) of all had depression; and from these 22 (64.7%) were obese and 12 (35.3%) non-obese; 25 (70.5%) were girls and 9 (26.5%) boys. Maternal obesity was associated with child obesity (χ2=11.733, p<0.0001); social problems (sp) (χ2=5.100, p=0.019; or=2.380, ic 95% 1.108-5.112, p=0.026) and a low self-esteem (se) (χ2=4.329, p=0.029; or=2.236, ic 95% 1.037-4.823, p=0.040) evaluated with the subscales of the cds, they are associated to child depression. Conclusions: child obesity is associated to the development of depression in children population, and the cds is a useful instrument to identify it. It is required the implementation of special programs or to strengthen the existing ones to prevent and control it.

Comorbid anxiety and depression in school-aged children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and selfreported symptoms of ADHD, anxiety, and depression among parents of school-aged children with and without ADHD.

BackgroundAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric disorder in children that can extend into adulthood and that is often associated with a variety of comorbid psychiatric disorders.AimAssess the comorbidity of ADHD with anxiety disorders and depressive disorders in school-aged children, and the relationship of the severity of ADHD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in children who have ADHD with the severity of the corresponding symptoms in their parents.MethodsA two-stage screening process identified children 7-10 years of age with and without ADHD treated at the Xin Hua Hospital in Shanghai. ADHD and other DSM-IV diagnoses were determined by a senior clinician using the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children (K-SADS-PL). One parent for each enrolled child completed three self-report scales: the ADHD Adult Self Report Scale (ASRS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). In total 135 children with ADHD and 65 control group children without ADHD were enrolled; parents for 94 of the children with ADHD and 63 of the children without ADHD completed the parental assessment scales.ResultsAmong the 135 children with ADHD, 27% had a comorbid anxiety disorder, 18% had a comorbid depressive disorder, and another 15% had both comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders. Parents of children with ADHD self-reported more severe ADHD inattention symptoms than parents of children without ADHD and were more likely to meet criteria for adult ADHD. Mothers (but not fathers) of children with ADHD had significantly more severe trait anxiety and depressive symptoms than mothers of children without ADHD. Among children with ADHD, the severity of ADHD symptoms was not significantly correlated with the severity of ADHD symptoms in parents, but depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in the children were significantly correlated with the corresponding symptoms in the parents.ConclusionSchool-aged children with ADHD commonly suffer from comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders, and the severity of these symptoms parallels the level of anxiety and depressive symptoms in their parents. Self-reported symptoms of ADHD are significantly more common in parents of children with ADHD than in parents of children without ADHD. Longitudinal studies are needed to disentangle the genetic, biological, and social factors responsible for these complex inter-relationships.

Symptoms of anxiety and depression in school-aged children with active epilepsy: A population-based study

Children (5-15 years) with active epilepsy were screened using the parent-report (n=69) and self-report (n=48) versions of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and the self-report version of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) (n=48) in a population-based sample. A total of 32.2% of children (self-report) and 15.2% of children (parent-report) scored ≥1 SD above the mean on the SCAS total score. The subscales where most difficulty were reported on parent-report were Physical Injury and Separation Anxiety. There was less variation on self-report. On the CDI, 20.9% of young people scored ≥1 SD above the mean. Children reported significantly more symptoms of anxiety on the SCAS total score and three of the subscales (p<.05). There was a significant effect on the SCAS total score of respondents by seizure type interaction, suggesting higher scores on SCAS for children with generalized seizures on self- but not parent-report. Higher CDI scores were significantly associated with generalized seizures (p>.05). Symptoms of anxiety were more common based on self-report compared with parent-report. Children with generalized seizures reported more symptoms of depression and anxiety.