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Comorbidity of physical illnesses and mental disorders in outpatients with tic disorders: a retrospective study using
Liping Yu1, Hui Xu2, Zhongliang Jiang1
1Department of Psychiatry, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children Healthy, Beijing, China.
Insights
Children with tic disorders frequently experience respiratory infections and mental health conditions like ADHD. These comorbidities peak in summer, with respiratory issues also rising in spring, and affect children aged 4-6.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Public Health
Background:
- Tic disorder is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition presenting in childhood with involuntary motor and vocal tics.
- Individuals with tic disorders often face co-occurring physical health issues.
- Understanding these comorbidities is crucial for comprehensive patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify common physical and mental disorders comorbid with tic disorders in pediatric outpatients.
- To analyze the characteristics and trends of these comorbidities over five years.
- To inform clinical practice and public health strategies for children with tic disorders.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 523,462 outpatient visits for tic disorders at a major children's hospital in China (2018-2022).
- Utilized the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) for diagnosis.
- Employed descriptive statistical analysis to examine disease frequencies, age, and seasonal variations.
Main Results:
- The most frequent comorbidities were respiratory diseases, mental and behavioral disorders, eye conditions, digestive disorders, and skin conditions.
- Upper respiratory tract infections and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were the most common specific diagnoses.
- Comorbidities peaked in August, with respiratory diseases also peaking in April; lowest visits occurred in February. Ages 4-6 showed peak visits for most conditions, excluding mental/behavioral disorders.
Conclusions:
- Respiratory diseases, particularly upper respiratory tract infections, are highly prevalent in children with tic disorders.
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most frequent mental health comorbidity.
- The study underscores the importance of screening for and managing these common co-occurring conditions in pediatric tic disorder patients.
Background:
Tic disorder, a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that typically onsets during childhood, is characterized by sudden, involuntary, rapid, and non-rhythmic motor and vocal tics. Individuals with tic disorders often experience physical health issues. The purpose of our retrospective analysis was to elucidate the common comorbid physical diseases and mental disorders and their characteristics of outpatient children with tic disorders in a large public children's hospital in China over the past 5 years.
Methods:
Participants were outpatients with tic disorders who visited Beijing Children's Hospital, from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022. After the inclusion screening, a total of 523,462 patient visits were included in the analysis. Based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) diagnostic system, we employed descriptive statistical analysis to examine the frequently co-occurring somatic diseases in patients with tic disorders, as well as the influence of variables such as age and seasonal variation on these comorbidities.
Results:
The top five diseases of total outpatient visits were as follows: Respiratory diseases, Mental and behavioral disorders, Diseases of the eye and adnexal, Digestive disorders, Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Among the top five comorbid disease system, the most commonly third- level classification of diseases were upper respiratory tract infections, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, conjunctivitis, dyspepsia, dermatitis. Respiratory system diseases experienced a peak in April, while the other four types of diseases reached their peak in August. Additionally, each disease system showed the lowest number of patient visits in February. Additional to the mental and behavioral disorders, the other four disease systems would experience a peak in medical visits between the ages of 4 and 6.
Conclusion:
Our study highlighted the most common physical diseases and mental disorders in tic disorders, namely the respiratory diseases, specifically upper respiratory tract infections, and mental and behavioral disorders, with ADHD being the most common co-occurring condition.
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