Search

Zehra Topal,1 Nuran Demir Samurcu,2 Sarper Taskiran,3 Ali Evren Tufan,4 Bengi Semerci5 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hakkari State Hospital, Hakkari, Turkey; 2Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Izzet Baysal Hospital for Maternity and Pediatric Disorder, Bolu, Turkey; 3Department of Psychiatry, Koc University Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey; 4Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Abant Izzet Baysal University Medical Faculty, Bolu, Turkey; 5Department of Psychology, Bengi Semerci Institute, Hasan Kalyoncu University, Istanbul, Turkey Abstract: Social communication disorder (SCD) is a novel diagnosis listed under the rubric of communication disorders within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) and it is reported to be characterized by impairment in use of verbal and nonverbal communication for social aims. This review attempts to summarize the current understanding of the SCD concept along with its evolution and presents data from previous studies conducted. Suggestions for further research are also delineated. As listed in DSM-5, the criteria for this novel diagnosis are vague, display elevated comorbidity with other neurodevelopmental disorders and other childhood psychopathologies, and show partial overlap with autistic spectrum disorders both in terms of genetics and family histories. Data on cross-cultural presentations and temporal stability are also limited. The social communication model proposed by Catani and Bambini may help integrate the neurobiological findings pertaining to SCD. Valid and reliable assessment methods need to be developed for SCD. This may involve either development of novel instruments capturing the DSM-5 criteria or application of statistical methods such as item response theory to existing instruments. The relationships between broad autism phenotype, pragmatic language impairment, nonverbal learning disorder, learning disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, and SCD should be evaluated with further studies. Keywords: social communication disorder, pragmatics, autistic spectrum disorder, neuro­development

Sarper Taşkıran,1 Tuba Mutluer,2 Ali Evren Tufan,3 Bengi Semerci4,5 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Koç University School of Medicine, 2Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, 3Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Abant Izzet Baysal University School of Medicine, Bolu, 4Department of Psychology, Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep, 5Bengi Semerci Enstitusu, Istanbul, Turkey Purpose: Juvenile delinquency is a serious and common problem. To date, several studies have focused on possible psychosocial risk factors for delinquency among youths and on the implications of childhood mental illness on child criminality. However, the literature on prevalence of psychopathology and predictors of crime severity among delinquent youths in Turkey is sparse. Therefore, the aim of this study was to show the associations between crime severity and psychosocial factors such as gender, age, criminal history, concomitant attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other comorbid psychiatric conditions, along with behavioral problem domains of Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Participants and methods: This analytical cross-sectional study sample consisted of 52 individuals (30 females and 22 males) who were sent to a pilot detention facility in Istanbul, Turkey. The participants’ age ranged from 8 to 18 years (M =13.4; SD =2.9). Self-rating scales were administered in an interview format, and the crime severity information was provided by participants’ admission documents. Results: No differences were found in terms of gender, age, children’s past history of crime and substance abuse. However, family crime history was significantly higher in the high severity crime group (P=0.026). Having one or more comorbid psychiatric disorder was associated with high crime severity (P=0.018). The most common psychiatric disorders were found to be ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder (CD) and anxiety disorder. Conclusion: Findings suggest that a family history of crime comes across as a very strong predictor of severity of crime. Among psychiatric factors, ADHD and CD were associated with commitment of more severe crimes in delinquent youths in our sample. Anxious/depressed traits as depicted by CBCL are found to be associated with less severe crimes. Keywords: crime severity, delinquent behavior, ADHD, conduct disorder, risk factors, juvenile delinquency