The Psychopathology, Depression and Anxiety Levels of Children with Unexplained Chest Pain
Özet
Background: Chest pain due to cardiac factors is rare in children and adolescents. In this case-control study, we aimed to determine depression and anxiety scores and other psychopathologies in children and adolescents who were admitted to a pediatric cardiology department with the complaint of chest pain, and to compare their results with a control group.Methods: A total of 53 patients (aged 8-18 years) who were evaluated for medically unexplained chest pain were included in the study. The control group consisted of 69 healthy children volunteers. Semi-structured diagnostic interviews and scales were administered to both the patients and their parents.Results: The medically unexplained chest pain group had a higher prevalence of depression, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than the control group.Conclusions: Our results showed the importance of psychiatric evaluation in children with medically unexplained chest pain children. Anxiety and depression scales can help determine whether patients should be referred to child and adolescent psychiatry. In this way, depression, anxiety or other psychopathologies that are associated with chest pain can be diagnosed earlier. Successful treatment of patients with any psychopathology can make a positive contribution to improving patients' quality of life, reducing healthcare costs and using medical resources efficiently.
