Psychiatric Comorbidity among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Najaf Province

Abstract

Background:
Compared with several other chronic childhood disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a serious and disabling group of neurodevelopmental disorders. Relatively little attention has been given to its early identification and comorbid psychiatric disorders especially in the Arab world.
Objectives: The present study was conducted with the main aim to identify comorbid psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and to find out the sociodemographic factors in relation to ASD.
Methods: The study was conducted from 1st January 2013 to 30th December 2013. Participants were clinically referred children aged 3–12 years (n = 100) at psychiatric unit of AL Hakeem General Hospital in Najaf. A semi-structured questionnaire included the various demographic and academic characteristics including age, gender, parental educational and occupational status etc. DSM-IV classifications were used for the primary diagnosis (ASD), while comorbid psychiatric disorders were assessed using a structured diagnostic interview, the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV, childhood diagnoses (KID-SCID). Statistical analysis was performed with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
Results: The majority of the patients were aged 5–10 years. Statistically significant proportion of children diagnosed with an ASD was male who live in an urban area and had satisfactory family income with small family size, they also had well educated parents but their mother was housewife. Fifty-nine children with ASD (59%) were classified as having at least one comorbid psychiatric disorder. However, children with ASD had more comorbid internalizing disorders (39%) compared to comorbid externalizing disorders (ODD and/or CD) (20%). More specifically, children with ASD had higher rates of anxiety disorders (31%), but not mood disorders.
Conclusions: This study confirms the frequent co-occurrence of ASD with other psychiatric disorders, so it is important for clinicians to always be aware of, and screen for, comorbidity, and to consider treatment for these comorbid disorders. In addition, more research is needed on the epidemiology of autism-related medical and psychiatric disorders and outcome.