title: Attachment Characteristics and Behavioral Problems in Children and Adolescents with Congenital Blindness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to assess the behavioral problems and the attachment characteristics of children and adolescents with congenital blindness (CB).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty children and adolescents aged 11-14 years with CB were included as the case group. Forty healthy children and adolescents who were matched for age, gender, and socioeconomic status with the case group served as the comparison group. Behavioral problems were assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist for ages 4-18 (CBCL 4/18). Attachment characteristics were assessed via the Short Form of Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (s-IPPA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The case group had lower CBCL total problems scores as well as anxiety/depression, withdrawal/depression, and attention problems subscales scores with respect to the comparison group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in s-IPPA scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children and adolescents with CB did not differ from the comparison group in terms of attachment, whereas, they had lower scores on behavioral problems than the comparison group. Although previous studies indicate that children and adolescents with CB may be at the risk of insecure attachment, our study suggested that adaptive mechanisms of their families together with professional help from specialized teachers and services provided by schools for children and adolescents with CB may play compensatory roles.
authors.affiliation: İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Türkay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Diyarbakır Children Hospital, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurullah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bolat
authors.affiliation: İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mesut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.affiliation: Bakırköy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karaçetin
authors.affiliation: İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Doğangün
authors.affiliation: İstanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kayaalp
keywords: Blindness; adolescent; attachment; behavior; child