Psychiatric comorbidity in children with duodenogastric reflux: Association with anxiety and depression levels

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and compare anxiety and depression symptom levels between children with and without duodenogastric reflux (DGR), all presenting with similar gastrointestinal (GI) complaints.

This cross-sectional, case-control study included 109 children aged 8-17 years with dyspeptic symptoms who underwent upper GI endoscopy at a tertiary care hospital. The DGR group (n = 54) and the control group (n = 55) were assessed using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children - Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), along with the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAI-C). Statistical analyses included group comparisons and logistic regression.

Psychiatric disorders were identified in 48.1% of children with DGR, compared to 20% in the control group (p = 0.002). Anxiety disorders were significantly more prevalent in the DGR group (40.7% vs. 10.9%, p < 0.001), corresponding to a 5.41-fold increased risk in logistic regression analysis. Mean scores on both the STAI-C and CDI were significantly higher in the DGR group, indicating more severe anxiety and depressive symptoms (p < 0.001). Furthermore, DGR was more frequently observed in children with younger mothers, a parental history of psychiatric illness, maternal unemployment, and divorced parents.

This is the first study to demonstrate a significant association between pediatric DGR and psychiatric disorders. These findings underscore the importance of routine psychiatric assessment in the clinical management of pediatric DGR.