Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğunun Nedenlerine Ait Ebeveyn Algısının Tedavi Tercihine Etkisi

Abstract

Aim:Due to the complex etiology and the lack of effective treatment for core symptoms, there are different views on the causes of ASD in many cultures. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the opinions, treatment choices, and expectations of families about the causes of ASD.Materials and Methods:Children diagnosed with ASD who applied to the Ondokuz Mayıs University Child Psychiatry Clinic between 2015 and 2019 were retrospectively included in the study. Patients who filled the information in the "preliminary interview forms" filled by the families before the interview for each patient who applied to our clinic were included in the study. The preliminary interview form contains questions about the child's age, gender, previous treatment, why the disease or disorder originated, and the prospect of treatment.Results:The data of 241 children and caregivers were examined in the study group. Comparing the clinical features and family views of the families of male and female patients, it was observed that the caregivers of the female patients had higher clinical global follow-up scores (p=0.022) and marked the "child's self" option (p=0.014). After a two-step clustering analysis, two clusters formed, and the most determining feature for the clusters was "Child-related causes". It was observed that "psychiatric examination", "drug treatment “and "age" were determinative between the two clusters.Conclusion:Opinions of caregivers about the causes of autism, duration of the disease, and previous psychiatric examinations affect the choice of treatment. These findings are essential for understanding the family's treatment choices and helping families and clinicians interested in ASD to guide and make decisions.

Keywords

• developmental disorders
• family characteristics
• treatment
• vaccine rejection