Evaluations after the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany showed an increase in mental health problems and a reduction in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of the study was to assess those aspects after the third wave of COVID-19 in adolescents who decided to receive a vaccination. In students aged 12–17 years recruited from schools in one German region, mental health (by the strengths and difficulties questionnaire, SDQ) and HRQoL (by KIDSCREEN-10) were assessed by both a self- and parental report. Data from 1412 adolescents (mean age 14.3 years, SD = 1.64) and 908 parents were collected. The mean self-reported HRQoL was T = 53.7 (SD = 11.2), significantly higher in boys than in girls and higher in younger (12–14 years) than in older (15–17 years) adolescents. In total, 18.7% of adolescents reported clinically relevant psychological symptoms, especially peer problems (23.5%), emotional problems (17.4%), and hyperactivity (17.1%). Comparing the present data to evaluations after the first and second waves of COVID-19, adolescents rated a higher HRQoL and reported less mental health problems after the third wave. After 1.5 years of living with the pandemic, adolescents have adapted to the changes in everyday life. Further, the relaxation of restrictions, better school organization, and the prospect of the vaccination may have increased optimism, wellbeing, and contentment, leading to declining but still alarming rates of psychological symptoms.
Aims: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) are incapacitating disorders, which begin early in life, are mainly caused by genetic and neurobiological factors, and show a tendency to persist. They are associated with higher rates of incontinence in children and adolescents, including nocturnal enuresis, daytime urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and constipation. Without diagnosis and treatment, they will interfere with incontinence treatment leading to less favorable outcomes. The aim of this International Children's Continence Society (ICCS) document is to provide an overview of the three most important NDs, that is, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and intellectual disability (ID).Methods: This consensus paper was commissioned by the ICCS. A selective, nonsystematic review was performed. Guidelines, reviews, and selected studies were included. The recommendations are consensus-based.
Aims
Headaches in preschool children are associated with behavioral and gastrointestinal symptoms. As the co‐occurrence with incontinence is not known in young children, the aim of the study was to examine associations of headache, psychological symptoms and nocturnal enuresis (NE), daytime urinary incontinence (DUI), and fecal incontinence (FI) in a population‐based sample of preschool children.
Methods
All preschool children of a defined geographical area were examined at school‐entry. Parents completed a 22‐item questionnaire, including 14 headache, 4 incontinence, and 25 items of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Five hundred eighty‐five children (50.4% males) with a mean age of 5.8 years were included.
Results
In total, 27.2% of all children had headaches. 15.7% had secondary and 11.3% primary headaches. Five children had migraine and five tension‐type headaches, while all others were unclassifiable. 9.4% of children had incontinence (7.7% NE; 2.4% DUI, 1.2% FI) and 4.0% constipation. The rates of incontinence did not differ between children with primary and those without headache for NE (12.9% vs 7.5%), DUI (3.1% vs 2.7%) or FI (3.0% vs 1.0%), but for constipation (12.1% vs 2.6%). Incontinent children had significantly more behavioral and externalizing symptoms, children with headache more internalizing problems. Primary headache was a significant predictor for internalizing, while constipation and FI were predictors for externalizing symptoms.
Conclusions
This population‐based study showed that headache is associated with constipation, but not with incontinence in preschool children. Headache and incontinence are common risk factors for specific psychological symptoms and should be assessed in clinical practice.
Aim To assess the role of the TAND (tuberous sclerosis complex [TSC] associated neuropsychiatric disorders) checklist as a screening tool for neuropsychiatric pathology, to evaluate behavioral and psychiatric symptoms and related parental stress in children with TSC, and to analyze associations between parental stress, TAND findings, and TSC pathology.
Method This is a prospective cohort study including 22 individuals from a national TSC surveillance study in Germany using demographic and clinical data, the TAND checklist, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Parenting Stress Index (PSI).
Results Mean (standard deviation) age at follow-up was 4 years (3 years 9 months), and 13/22 of patients were male. Seventeen children had epilepsy (focal: 9; generalized: 4; infantile spasms: 4). Developmental delay was diagnosed in 12/22 patients. The most prevalent TAND items were anxiety and mood swings in 10/22 children. At least one TAND item was reported by 17/22 patients, internalizing symptoms by 10/22, and externalizing symptoms by 11/22. In contrast, only one patient had a clinically relevant score in the CBCL scales. Of 22 parents, 12 reported clinically relevant parental stress due to both child and parenting factors. Higher total parental stress was associated with a higher TAND externalizing score (r = 0.49; p = 0.028) and TAND total score (r = 0.51; p = 0.016), a higher CBCL total score (r = 0.59; p = 0.005), and the number of antiepileptic drugs (r = 0.50; p = 0.017). Developmental delay was correlated with child stress factors (r = 0.48; p = 0.023).
Interpretation The TAND checklist appears to be a promising screening tool for neuropsychiatric problems in very young children with TSC. Parental stress in children with TSC is modified by TSC-related pathology, both neuropsychiatric and neurological.
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