1.Psychological, Nutritional and Behavioral Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown: A Cross Sectional Study on Egyptian Children
Psychiatry Investigation 2022;19(2):110-116
Objective:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is contemplated as the most exceptional global health crisis, becoming a vigorous, powerful destroyer of both health and economy in the 21st century. Although young children are clinically less affected by COVID-19 than adults, they are concomitantly influenced by the pandemic in many aspects.
Methods:
This study is an attempt to investigate the negative effects of the lockdown on the psychological, nutritional, physical, as well as the behavioral aspects among Egyptian children and adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a formulated online survey among a total of 672 participant aged 6–18 years.
Results:
During the lockdown 58.9% of the participants reported increase in their weight, 64.6% of reported decrease in their physical activity, moreover 86.9% reported increased time consumed on the computer/TV/mobile, and 54.7% reported sleeping problems.
Conclusion
COVID-19 pandemic had a massive influence on children’s health globally, in many aspects whether medical, physical or psychological. All these intimations have to be highlighted and dealt with clearly to avoid both short/long-term sequel.
2.A New Perspective of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Associated With Delayed Language Development: An Egyptian Sample
Reham Ahmed FAHIEM ; Lamis H MEKKAWY
Psychiatry Investigation 2022;19(3):164-170
Objective:
The current study aimed to get an easy objective method to detect attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by investigating the simple inflammatory blood ratios platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PRL), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) & the monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR), for the sake of receiving early management to such cases and overcoming language affection as a comorbid symptom.
Methods:
This study was conducted on two groups: Group 1 (SG) consisted of 70 ADHD children who had delayed language development (DLD), freshly diagnosed, according to DSM-V criteria, and those patients were not on medical treatment. Group 2 healthy group (HG) consisted of 44 healthy control normal children that were both physically and mentally free of the same socio-demographic characters of the first group.
Results:
The PLR, NLR and MLR, were significantly higher in the ADHD group than the healthy control group (HG) group, although the simple blood indices were average.
Conclusion
Inflammation has a role as a comorbid cause of ADHD. Simple blood inflammatory mediators may be used as comorbid factors in ADHD. This study explained that the language abilities must be taken in consideration when assessing children with ADHD. The screening tools for inflammatory markers are important when dealing with ADHD children with/ without delayed language development (DLD). Also, working memory assessment is mandatory in ADHD with DLD to assign a special program in language therapy for each child.