Psychische Komorbidität bei chronisch somatischen Erkrankungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of children, adolescents and young adults with overweight or obesity and mental health disorders

BACKGROUND

Mental disorders are important comorbidities in youth with obesity. Aim was to describe the clinical characteristics and outcome of youth with overweight or obesity having comorbid mental disorders.

METHODS

Data from children, adolescents, and young adults (age 6-30 years) with overweight or obesity and mental disorders (depression, anxiety disorder, eating disorder, attention deficit disorder (ADHD)) from 226 centers in Germany and Austria participating in the Adiposity Patient Registry (APV) were analyzed and compared with those without reported mental disorders using regression modeling.

RESULTS

Mental health comorbidity was reported in a total of 3969 out of 114,248 individuals with overweight or obesity: 42.5% had ADHD, 31.3% anxiety disorders, 24.3% depression, and 12.9% eating disorders. Being male (OR 1.39 (95%CI 1.27;1.52)), of older age (1.42 (1.25;1.62)), or with extreme obesity (1.45 (1.30;1.63)) were most strongly associated with mental health comorbidity. Regression analysis showed that mean BMI-SDS was significantly higher in the group of individuals with depression and eating disorders (BMI-SDS 2.13 (lower; upper mean:2.09;2.16) and 2.22 (2.17;2.26)) compared to those without reported mental health comorbidity (BMI-SDS 2.008 (2.005;2.011); p < 0.001). In youth with ADHD, BMI-SDS was lower compared to those without reported mental disorders (BMI-SDS 1.91 (1.89;1.93) vs 2.008 (2.005;2.011); p < 0.001). Proportion of severe obesity was higher in individuals with depression (23.7%), anxiety disorders (17.8%), and eating disorders (33.3%), but lower in ADHD (10.3%), compared to those without reported mental disorders (13.5%, p < 0.002). Proportions of dyslipidaemia and abnormal carbohydrate metabolism were not different in youth with and without reported mental health comorbidity. BMI-SDS change after one year of lifestyle intervention program ranged between -0.22 and -0.16 and was similar in youth without and with different mental disorders.

CONCLUSION

Health care professionals caring for youth with overweight or obesity should be aware of comorbid mental disorders and regular mental health screening should be considered.

Determinants of Quality of Life in Children with Inborn Errors of Metabolism Receiving a Restricted Diet

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the determinants of quality of life (QoL) in children with inborn errors of metabolism with restricted diet (IEMRDs) using a single theory-based multidimensional model.

STUDY DESIGN

In this multicenter cross-sectional study, data from children aged 8-17 years with IEMRDs (except phenylketonuria) and their parents were collected from January 2015 to December 2017. Measurements included a child's self-reported QoL, self-rated behavioral problems and anxiety, and parental anxiety. Based on hypotheses from a literature-built theoretical model linking demographic, clinical, family environment, and psychosocial characteristics to QoL either directly or indirectly, associations of these factors with a child's self-rated QoL were examined using a structural equation modeling approach.

RESULTS

A total of 312 children (mean [SD] age, 12.2 [2.6] years; 51% boys [n = 160]) were included. Higher levels of trait anxiety and behavioral problems in children were the most important factors associated with poorer QoL (standardized path coefficients, -0.71 and -0.23, respectively). In addition, higher parent trait anxiety, younger age at diagnosis, and a disease requiring an emergency diet were associated with poorer QoL in these children. The final model fit the data closely according to conventional goodness-of-fit statistics and explained 86% of the QoL variance.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychosocial factors appear to be major determinants of QoL impairment in children with IEMRDs. These factors should be addressed in clinical practice as part of the global treatment plan for a child with IEMRD. Future studies based on a longitudinal design should consider coping strategies when exploring potential predictive factors of QoL.

Somatic symptom and related disorders in children and adolescents: evaluation of a naturalistic inpatient multidisciplinary treatment

BACKGROUND

This naturalistic study assesses the effectiveness of inpatient multidisciplinary treatment of children and adolescents with somatic symptom disorders (SSD) and investigates the role of pain coping strategies and psychiatric comorbidity (anxiety, depression).

METHODS

Sixty children and adolescents (mean age 14.4 years) with SSD who underwent inpatient multidisciplinary treatment were assessed regarding their school attendance, levels of discomfort, coping strategies and psychiatric comorbidity (depression, anxiety) at pretreatment, discharge and 6 months following treatment.

RESULTS

At discharge, the children and adolescents reported improvements in their level of discomfort, psychiatric comorbidities (anxiety, depression) and pain coping strategies, with medium to large effect sizes. Six months following treatment, the improvements remained stable, including significantly higher school attendance rates (d = 1.6; p < 0.01). Improvement in pain coping was associated with increased school attendance.

CONCLUSION

Inpatient multidisciplinary treatment is effective in reducing levels of discomfort, psychiatric comorbidity (anxiety, depression), and school absence and in improving coping strategies.

Chronology of Onset of Mental Disorders and Physical Diseases in Mental-Physical Comorbidity - A National Representative Survey of Adolescents

Background

The objective was to estimate temporal associations between mental disorders and physical diseases in adolescents with mental-physical comorbidities.

Methods

This article bases upon weighted data (N = 6483) from the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement (participant age: 13–18 years), a nationally representative United States cohort. Onset of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition lifetime mental disorders was assessed with the fully structured World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview, complemented by parent report. Onset of lifetime medical conditions and doctor-diagnosed diseases was assessed by self-report.

Results

The most substantial temporal associations with onset of mental disorders preceding onset of physical diseases included those between affective disorders and arthritis (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.36, 95%-confidence interval (CI) = 1.95 to 5.77) and diseases of the digestive system (HR = 3.39, CI = 2.30 to 5.00), between anxiety disorders and skin diseases (HR = 1.53, CI = 1.21 to 1.94), and between substance use disorders and seasonal allergies (HR = 0.33, CI = 0.17 to 0.63). The most substantial temporal associations with physical diseases preceding mental disorders included those between heart diseases and anxiety disorders (HR = 1.89, CI = 1.41 to 2.52), epilepsy and eating disorders (HR = 6.27, CI = 1.58 to 24.96), and heart diseases and any mental disorder (HR = 1.39, CI = 1.11 to 1.74).

Conclusions

Findings suggest that mental disorders are antecedent risk factors of certain physical diseases in early life, but also vice versa. Our results expand the relevance of mental disorders beyond mental to physical health care, and vice versa, supporting the concept of a more integrated mental-physical health care approach, and open new starting points for early disease prevention and better treatments, with relevance for various medical disciplines.

Association between mental disorders and physical diseases in adolescents from a nationally representative cohort

OBJECTIVE

Pediatric health care and research focus mostly on single morbidities, although the single-disease framework has been challenged. The main objective was to estimate associations between childhood mental disorders and physical diseases.

METHODS

This study is based on weighted data (n = 6482) from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement (age, 13-18 years). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition lifetime mental disorders were assessed using the fully structured World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview, complemented by parent report. Lifetime medical conditions and doctor-diagnosed diseases were assessed by adolescent self-report.

RESULTS

Of 6469 participants, 2137 (35.33%) reported at least one mental disorder and one physical disease. The most substantial associations included those between affective disorders and diseases of the digestive system (odds ratio [OR] = 3.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.28-5.24), anxiety disorders and arthritis (OR = 2.27, CI = 1.34-3.85), anxiety disorders and heart diseases (OR = 2.41, CI = 1.56-3.73), anxiety disorders and diseases of the digestive system (OR = 2.18, CI = 1.35-3.53), and eating disorders and epilepsy/seizures (OR = 5.45, CI = 1.57-18.87). Sociodemographic factors did not account for the association between mental disorders and physical diseases.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that mental disorders and physical diseases often co-occur in childhood. This association is a major public health challenge, and the child health system needs additional strategies in patient-centered care, research, medical education, health policy, and economics to develop well-coordinated interdisciplinary approaches linking mental and physical care in children.