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Lessons learned from the study of masturbation and its comorbidity with psychiatric disorders in children: The first

Ashraf Tashakori1, Atefeh Safavi2, Sorour Neamatpour3

  • 1M.D., Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

Electronic Physician
|June 14, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Childhood masturbation is common in psychiatric clinics, affecting 31.6% of patients. It is frequently linked to behavioral and anxiety disorders, warranting further psychiatric evaluation.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Limited data exists on childhood masturbation, primarily from case reports.
  • Lack of consistent and accurate information necessitates further research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of masturbation in children.
  • To identify underlying factors associated with childhood masturbation.
  • To investigate the comorbidity of masturbation with psychiatric disorders in children.

Main Methods:

  • Descriptive-analytical study conducted in a pediatric psychiatric ward.
  • Convenience sampling of 98 children in Ahvaz, Iran.
  • Diagnosis based on DSM-IV criteria and Child Symptom Inventory-4 (CSI-4).

Main Results:

  • 31.6% of participating children exhibited masturbation.
  • Masturbation was significantly associated with phobias, separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, motor tics, stress disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, thumb sucking, and conduct disorder.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood masturbation is prevalent in children referred to psychiatric clinics.
  • Strong associations found between masturbation and oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety disorders, and motor tics.
  • Recommend thorough psychiatric assessment for children with unusual sexual behaviors.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildMasturbationPsychiatric disorders

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