Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | 2473 - Depression, Anxiety levels and Alexithymia in Children with Primary Headache: A Controlled Study |
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| Contribution code | PS01-05 (P) |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the levels of depression, anxiety and alexithymia in children with primary headache to the control group. It was also aimed to compare maternal depression and anxiety levels between the two groups. We investigated whether there is a relationship between alexithymia, depression and anxiety. Methods: We evaluated 30 children (7-18 years of age; mean±SD: 14.23±2.58) with primary headache and 30 controls matched for age and gender. Participants were recruited at the pediatric neurology clinic of the Ankara University. The levels of depression, anxiety and alexitymia were assessed with Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), respectively. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS) were completed by the mothers. DSM-IV diagnoses were obtained by means of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). Results: Levels of depression, anxiety and alexithymia did not differ significantly between the case and control groups (p> 0.05). Depression scores of case group’s mothers were significantly higher than controls (15.13±7.79 vs. 10.56±8.16, p = 0.01), whereas anxiety scores were not statistically significant (17.0±10.52 vs. 14.1±12.06, p = 0.124). In the case group, alexithymia scores (TAS-1, TAS-2, TAS total) were positively correlated with depression scores (r = 0.765, r = 0.80, r = 0.824, respectively, p=<0.001) but there was no correlation with the TAS-3 (r = 0.010, p> 0.05). In the control group, alexithymia scores (TAS-1, TAS-2, TAS total) were positively correlated with depression scores (r = 0.696, r = 0.468, r = 0.591, respectively, p=<0.001). According to correlation analysis results, the correlation coefficients between alexithymia and depression scores were higher in the case group than the control group. Conclusion: These findings highlight evaluating alexithymic features of the children with primary headache who have high depression scores. High depression scores of mothers whose children with primary headache may indicate the importance of psychological support and psychotherapeutic interventions. |