Investigation of posttraumatic stress disorder, sleep quality and related factors in adolescents without chronic disease

Investigation of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Sleep Quality and Related Factors in Adolescents Without Chronic Disease Introduction and Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most important psychiatric disorders affecting the lives of children and adolescents. It has been reported that psychiatric disorders accompanying posttraumatic stress disorder affect sleep quality. In our country, people are exposed to many traumatic events due to both man-made and natural events. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of PTSD, demographic and clinical data related to PTSD, and factors related to sleep quality in adolescents admitted to Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, and to identify children aged 11-18 years with mood and sleep disorders who have experienced trauma after natural disasters in our country and to make necessary precautions and recommendations. Materials and Methods: Between September 2023 and June 2024, patients aged 11-18 years who applied to the outpatient clinics of Dicle University Faculty of Medicine Children's Hospital between September 2023 and June 2024, who completed the Revised Child Impact of Event Scale-13 (CRIES-13) (ANNEX-1), Disaster and Mass Violence Events Evaluation Form (ANNEX-2) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) (ANNEX-3) forms completely, without gender discrimination, were included in the study. Patients with a CRIES-13 score > 30 were divided into two groups as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder group (PTSD) and the other patients were divided into two groups as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Non-PTSD group (PTSDN) and the two groups were statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 308 cases, 163 (52.9%) female and 145 (47.1%) male, were included in this study. It was found that 56 (45.1%) of the female patients and 68 (59.1%) of the male patients had PTSD. It was determined that 20 (22.7%) of the PTSD group patients were still living outside their homes after the event and 18 (21.4%) of the PTSBO group patients were still living outside their homes after the event and a statistically significant difference was found between the groups (p=0.039). It was determined that 63 (20.4%) of the PTSD group patients had sleep disorders, while 76 (24.6%) of the PTSD group patients had sleep disorders. However, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups (p=0.560). Conclusion: Psychosocial support in disasters with major devastating effects such as earthquakes is usually limited to the first weeks of the event. The relationship between PTSD, sleep and quality of life is very complex. Once specific sleep disturbances in pediatric PTSD are objectively identified, treatment development and outcome studies will be crucial not only to reduce negative symptoms in patients but also to identify sleep disturbance as a biomarker for the development of PTSD. For this purpose, new studies with multicenter, large participation and objective diagnostic methods are needed. Key words: Adolescent, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Sleep Quality