“Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome”, or PANS, is a rare syndrome characterized by an acute onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and/or severely restricted food intake accompanied by a variety of neuropsychiatric symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of twin adolescents with COVID-19-associated PANS. Dizygotic twin sisters in late teens, with abrupt and acute onset of severely restrictive food intake, weight loss, OCD, anxiety with intermittent auditory and visual hallucinations, depression, attention deficit, and sleep disturbances, simultaneously accompanied by milder neurologic symptoms such as hand tremor, tinnitus, dizziness, headache, and weakness of proximal muscles, were applied to child and adolescent psychiatry clinic. The only relevant agent underlying those neuropsychiatric and somatic complaints was COVID-19, and it was validated with laboratory testing, such as positive IgG titers of SARS-CoV-2 and negative biomarkers for other possible bacterial or viral agents. Generalized epileptic anomaly and a vermian/folial atrophy in the cerebellum were detected in further evaluations. Treatment options consisted of psychotropic agents, antibiotics, antiepileptic, and intravenous immunoglobulin transfusion finely treated the neuropsychiatric symptoms. Clinicians should consider SARS-CoV-2 as a potential agent, when a child presents with abrupt onset, dramatic neuropsychiatric symptoms also consisting of PANS, even in asymptomatic patients or with mild respiratory symptoms.

The Kahramanmaras earthquakes occurred on February 6, 2023. Two powerful earthquakes, occurring 9 hours apart, resulted in over 50000 deaths and affected more than 14 million people. This study assessed different characteristics among affected children and adolescents and identified vulnerable groups. This study aimed to evaluate post-earthquake psychiatric symptoms among children and adolescents, determine the prevalence of acute stress disorder (ASD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among affected children and adolescents, and identify personal and event-related factors that influence these outcomes. Patients admitted to the child psychiatry outpatient clinic or consulted from the emergency and pediatric inpatient clinics were evaluated for the effect of personal and event-related factors, including demographic variables, pre-event mental state, loss of relatives and assets owned, and medical/surgical requirements, on their mental health. The study revealed that sleep problems were prevalent as the primary psychiatric symptom among children and adolescents following the earthquake. The incidence of ASD remained similar between age groups, while PTSD was more commonly observed in adolescents. Patients experiencing the loss of family members or friends, as well as those whose homes collapsed or suffered extensive damage, and those who sustained physical injuries, exhibited a higher prevalence of ASD and PTSD compared to the other patients. Current findings reveal that the delivery of intensive psychological support in the early stages is crucial to prevent further mental problems in vulnerable groups following an earthquake.

The study’s purpose was to investigate the mental health and related variables of parents with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) child during COVID-19 home confinement. The study data is based on the evaluation of online self-report questionnaires that assess parental distress, burnout, and coping levels, as well as parent-proxy reports of autism severity and related behavioral issues, as described by the parents of 79 children with ASD and their 83 typically developing age- and sex-matched opponents. The burnout and adaptive coping levels of the parents with ASD children were greater than those of the controls. However, there was no significant difference in terms of general distress levels. Increased irritability was the most commonly reported symptom among children with ASD. However, behavioral issues in children were the strongest predictor of parental burnout, whereas maladaptive coping skills were linked to general distress. This study emphasizes the significance of treating the behavioral issues of children with ASD and the coping strategies of their parents for the mental well-being of this vulnerable population and their parents during home confinement.

Amaç: Bu çalışmada Çocuklar İçin Özel Gereksinim Raporu (ÇÖZGER)’na başvuran olguların sosyodemografik ve klinik özelliklerinin incelenmesi, psikiyatrik tanı ve özel gereksinim düzeylerinin eski yönetmelik ile karşılaştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem: Çalışmamızda, Haziran 2019-Aralık 2019 tarihleri arasında Dr. Sami Ulus Kadın Doğum, Çocuk Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Eğitim Araştırma Hastanesi sağlık kuruluna ÇÖZGER için başvuran ve psikiyatri ile ilgili herhangi bir alandan özel gereksinimi bulunan 6-18 yaş arasındaki çocuk ve ergenin dosya verileri geriye dönük olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular: Çalışmaya %38’i (n=474) kız, %62’si (n=772) erkek olan 1246 olgu dahil edildi. Ortalama yaş 12,1±4,6 idi. Olguların %58 (n=723)’inde gecikmiş dönüm noktası, en sık olarak Hafif Düzeyde Zihinsel Yetersizlik (ZY) saptandı (n=459; 36,8%). Olguların %19,8 (n=247)’inde en az bir psikiyatri dışı alanda özel gereksinim varlığı tespit edilmiş olup en sık olarak hareket sistemi ve sinir sistemi alanlarından olduğu belirlendi (sırasıyla, n=156 ve n=88). ÇÖZGER sonrasında, eski sistemine göre Hafif Düzeyde ZY olgularında anlamlı bir azalma olduğu (χ2=19,41; p