Evaluation of sex roles in adolescents operated for gender development disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder in their parents

In this study, it was aimed to evaluate posttraumatic stress disorder, lifelong prevalence of psychopathology, body image, gender roles, quality of life, future expectations and posttraumatic stress disorder in the adolescents, who had undergone surgery because of sex development disorders; and posttraumatic stress disorder in the parents of them. Our study was carried out with 20 adolescents aged between 12-18 years who were admitted to follow-up in the Departments of Endocrinology and Pediatric Surgery of the Akdeniz University School of Medicine, and their parents. Adolescents with prior psychiatric admission, who did not know how to read or write, who had severe medical or mental illness and/or mental retardation were excluded before. A total of 20 adolescents, age- and gender matched with the patient group, without any medical illness and/or mental retardation consisted the control group. All children and mothers were invited to the clinic and interviewed by a child psychiatrist. The prevalence of psychopathology in children was assessed using a semi-structured diagnostic interview designed to determine the past and current psychopathologies of children and adolescents according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, namely K-SADS (Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version). For assessing parenting attitudes and stress coping skills, the Family Life and Parenting Attitudes Scale was given to parents. In adolescents, PTSD was rated using Child Posttraumatic Stress disorder-Reaction Index (CPTSD-RI), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was used to assess self-esteem. For the evaluation of PTSD symptoms in parents, PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) was used. All adolescents were also given Bem sex-roles inventory, Body Image Perception Scale and Adolescent Future Expectations Scale. Quality of Life Scale was given to both adolescents and their parents to assess the quality of life of adolescents. The life-long prevalance of psychopathology was found to be higher in the study group, compared to the controls. The most common diagnosis in the study group was enuresis nocturna. Quality of life scores reported by the parents were lower than those reported by adolescents in the study group. Trauma scores of parents and adolescents were not significantly different between the two groups. However, parents of adolescents, whose children had information about their illness, have lower trauma scores. There was a significant difference between the study group and the control group in all subscores of the Family Life and Child Raising Attitude Scale. There was no difference between the study and control groups in terms of gender roles, body image, self esteem and future expectations. There is a need for comprehensive studies with larger samples, about sex roles, body image, future expectations, posttraumatic stress disorder and psychopathology in the adolescents, who had undergone surgery because of sex development disorders. Keywords: Disorder of sex development, adolescent, parents, psychopathology, trauma