Evaluation of sensory sensitivity in children and adolescents with anxiety disorder

Objective: Our main aim was to evaluate and compare the sensory sensitivity of boys and girls diagnosed with anxiety disorder and healthy control subjects. The hypothesis of our study is as follows: The group diagnosed with anxiety disorder will show higher sensory sensitivity to environmental stimuli than the control group. Method: After obtaining information about the study and informed consent, the researcher conducted a semi-structured screening interview with the participant children and their families using the "Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children - Present and Lifetime Version (KSADS-PL)". The diagnoses of Learning Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders, which could not be screened with the KSADS-PL, were evaluated with the clinical opinion of the researcher based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. During this interview, both groups had children with additional psychiatric diagnoses and these children were excluded from the study. At the end of this interview, "Sociodemographic data form", "The Child Behaviour Checklist, School-Age Version (CBCL/6-18)", "Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Disorders (SCARED) Parent Form" were given to the families to fill in, while "Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Disorders (SCARED) Child Form" (8 years of age and above)" and "Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile" (AASP) were given to the children and adolescents to fill in. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the case and control groups in terms of age, gender, average age of mother and father, and cohabitation status. When the educational level of the mother and father was analyzed, it was found to be significantly lower in the case group compared to the control group. In terms of the presence of psychiatric illness in the mother, the case group was significantly higher than the control group. In our study, in terms of all subscale scores (school phobia, GAD, panic somatic, separation anxiety, social phobia, total score) of the child and parent assessment scales of the SCARED, which determines the severity of anxiety, were found to be significantly higher in the case group than in the control group. When the CBCL 6-18 subscales of the children participating in the study were evaluated, it was found that the anxiety group was statistically significantly higher in all subscales (anxiety/depression, social introversion, somatic complaints, social problems, thought problems, attention problems, oppositional behavior, aggressive behaviors, internalizing problems, externalizing problems). When the AASP data were examined, no significant difference was found between the groups in any of the sub-domains (low registration, sensory seeking, sensory sensitivity, sensory avoidance). However, when the AASP data of the participants in the case group were analyzed according to the subtypes and combinations of the diseases, no significant difference was found between the groups in terms of any subscale. In our study, no statistically significant correlation was found between AASP subscales and GAS scores and symptom duration. Conclusions: In conclusion, sensory sensitization (SOR) is a clinical condition that is highly prevalent in the normal population and can be associated with significant childhood psychiatric disorders, yet its relationship with psychiatric disorders has not been fully elucidated. Future studies focusing on SOR and its association with existing psychiatric diagnoses will likely contribute to our overall understanding of this entity and allow the development of new treatment modalities for children struggling with SOR symptoms. Key words: Anxiety disorder, sensory sensitivity, sensory profile