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Contribution title “To sleep- perchance to dream”: Melatonin treatment may have multiple benefits in traumatized children following 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquakes
Contribution code D1.139
Authors
  1. Ali Evren Tufan Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Medical Faculty Presenter
  2. Meryem Özlem Kütük Baskent University Medical Faculty Presenter
  3. Gulen Guler Mersin University Medical Faculty
  4. Gonca Özyurt Izmir Katip Celebi University Medical Faculty
  5. Fethiye Kılıçaslan Harran University Medical Faculty
  6. Berna Polat Tüysüz Harran University Facult of Medicine
  7. Neslihan Taştepe Baskent University Medical Faculty
  8. Yasemin Imrek Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine
Form of presentation Poster
Topic
  • T43 - Trauma
Abstract Aims: Sleep disturbances are among the cardinal symptoms of Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders and may contribute to the onset and maintenance of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD, 1). Melatonin is an endogenous hormone modulating the sleep-wake cycle as well as inflammatory processes that also may have a role in PTSD (1-3). Acute sleep interventions may be beneficial to prevent PTSD (4). Here, we evaluated effects of melatonin treatment among traumatized children following 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquakes.
Methods: Fifty-seven children (52.6 % girls) with a mean age of 11.1 years from four treatment centers were enrolled in the study. Twenty-one (36.8 %) had multiple physical traumas, most (87.7 %) had sleep problems and over half (n= 30, 52.6 %) had Acute Stress Disorder. The median duration and dose of melatonin was 15.0 (IQR= 31.0) days and 3.0 (IQR= 1.2) mg/ day; respectively. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and logistic regression were used in analyses. P was set at 0.05 (two-tailed).
Results: Boys and girls were similar in age, physical traumas and psychiatric symptoms. According to Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) evaluations most (n=47, 82.5 %) were very much/ much improved while the rest were minimally improved. No significant side effects were observed. In regression analysis, anxiety, physical trauma and additional psychopharmacological intervention predicted improvement.
Conclusions: Melatonin may be beneficial in traumatized children in the short-term. Further studies are required to determine long-term effects.

Key words: melatonin, trauma, post traumatic stress disorder, earthquake, sleep, children