Diabetes Linked to Psychiatric Illnesses in Children
Reported June 24, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — According to a new study, as many as one in five children with type 2 diabetes may also have a psychiatric illness. The research also suggests children with psychiatric illnesses may be at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes and still most common in adults, has been increasing sharply among children over the past decade and parallels growing numbers of overweight and obese children.
Researchers from The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia found 46 (19 percent) of 237 children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes had previously been diagnosed with a psychiatric disease. Types of psychiatric illnesses experienced by the children included depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, developmental delay, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
Of the children in our study with neuropsychiatric disorders, a substantial number were treated with psychiatric medications reported to cause weight gain, says Robert Berkowitz, M.D., the senior author of the study. However, this is not the only factor at work, as not all medications cause weight gain. Depression, as well as other neuropsychiatric illnesses, may itself lead to a sedentary lifestyle, which places children at risk for type 2 diabetes.
SOURCE: Pediatric Diabetes, 2005;6:84-89