Anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and stressful life events in non-cardiac adolescent chest pain: a comparative study about the hidden part of the iceberg.
Chest pain in adolescents is rarely associated with cardiac disease. Adolescents with medically unexplained chest pain usually have high levels of anxiety and depression. Psychological stress may trigger non-cardiac chest pain. This study evaluated risk factors that particularly characterise adolescence, such as major stressful events, in a clinical population. The present study was conducted on 100 adolescents with non-cardiac chest pain and 76 control subjects. Stressful life events were assessed by interviewing patients using a 36-item checklist, along with the Children's Depression Inventory and Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for children, in both groups. Certain stressful life events, suicidal thoughts, depression, and anxiety were more commonly observed in adolescents with non-cardiac chest pain compared with the control group. Moreover, binary logistic regression analysis showed that trouble with bullies, school-related problems, and depression may trigger non-cardiac chest pain in adolescents. Non-cardiac chest pain on the surface may point to the underlying psychosocial health problems such as depression, suicidal ideas, or important life events such as academic difficulties or trouble with bullies. The need for a psychosocial evaluation that includes assessment of negative life events and a better management have been discussed in light of the results.
1Division of Adolescent Medicine,İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital,İzmir,Turkey.
Kayi
K
Eliacik
2Department of Paediatrics,İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital,İzmir,Turkey.
Ali
A
Kanik
3Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital,İzmir,Turkey.
Nurullah
N
Bolat
1Division of Adolescent Medicine,İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital,İzmir,Turkey.
Hilal
H
Mertek
4Department of Paediatric Cardiology,İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital,İzmir,Turkey.
Baris
B
Guven
4Department of Paediatric Cardiology,İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital,İzmir,Turkey.
Ulas
U
Karadas
4Department of Paediatric Cardiology,İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital,İzmir,Turkey.
Buket
B
Dogrusoz
4Department of Paediatric Cardiology,İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital,İzmir,Turkey.
Ali Rahmi
AR
Bakiler
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
Chest pain; adolescents; depression; stressful life events; suicidal thoughts