ADHD, major depressive disorder, and simple phobias are prevalent psychiatric conditions in youth with velocardiofacial syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To examine prevalence rates of psychopathology in children with velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS).


METHODS
One hundred fifty-four children ages 6 to 15 participated in our between-group design with three samples, 84 children with VCFS (37 girls, 47 boys), 32 sibling controls (18 girls, 14 boys), and 38 community controls (12 girls, 26 boys). The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime version and several other parent report measures were used to assess for psychopathology.


RESULTS
Compared to both control samples, children with VCFS had higher prevalence rates of major depressive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, simple phobias, and enuresis. Additional findings from our analyses include (1) no gender differences in VCFS psychopathology prevalence rates, (2) children with VCFS who have comorbid psychopathology were rated by their parents as having less well-developed executive functions, and (3) across all three samples, the higher the IQ was, the higher the level of global functioning.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings are consistent with previous research and suggest that major depressive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and simple phobias are salient features of the VCFS psychiatric phenotype.
Antshel
Kevin M
KM
Drs. Antshel, Fremont, Kates, and Mr. Dhamoon are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Roizen is with the Department of Pediatrics, and Dr. Shprintzen and Ms. Higgins are with the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse; Dr. Kates is also with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore. Electronic address: AntshelK@upstate.edu.
Fremont
Wanda
W
Drs. Antshel, Fremont, Kates, and Mr. Dhamoon are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Roizen is with the Department of Pediatrics, and Dr. Shprintzen and Ms. Higgins are with the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse; Dr. Kates is also with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.
Roizen
Nancy J
NJ
Drs. Antshel, Fremont, Kates, and Mr. Dhamoon are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Roizen is with the Department of Pediatrics, and Dr. Shprintzen and Ms. Higgins are with the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse; Dr. Kates is also with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.
Shprintzen
Robert
R
Drs. Antshel, Fremont, Kates, and Mr. Dhamoon are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Roizen is with the Department of Pediatrics, and Dr. Shprintzen and Ms. Higgins are with the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse; Dr. Kates is also with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.
Higgins
Anne Marie
AM
Drs. Antshel, Fremont, Kates, and Mr. Dhamoon are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Roizen is with the Department of Pediatrics, and Dr. Shprintzen and Ms. Higgins are with the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse; Dr. Kates is also with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.
Dhamoon
Amit
A
Drs. Antshel, Fremont, Kates, and Mr. Dhamoon are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Roizen is with the Department of Pediatrics, and Dr. Shprintzen and Ms. Higgins are with the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse; Dr. Kates is also with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.
Kates
Wendy R
WR
Drs. Antshel, Fremont, Kates, and Mr. Dhamoon are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Roizen is with the Department of Pediatrics, and Dr. Shprintzen and Ms. Higgins are with the Department of Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse; Dr. Kates is also with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.