In a study published in BMC Pediatrics, scientists from the University of Catania in Italy have found that children and adolescents that suffer from celiac disease (CD) self-reported an increased rate of anxiety and depression symptoms when compared to healthy control subjects. A group of 100 (65 female, 35 male) patients with CD were compared to 100 normal controls. Emotional and behavioural problems, recorded in a parent-report questionnaire, were assessed using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC). The results also showed that gender differences were observed in the CD group, with males scoring higher for externalising behaviours such as social, thought and attention problems, and females showing more prominent internalising problems such as depression.
Source: BMC Pediatrics
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