Mental assessment of girls consulting for early marriage and identifying risk factors

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze socio demographic characteristics and mental disorder diagnoses for girls between 16 and 17 years old who had been referred for a report stating whether any obstacles existed to their marriage. Methods: Eighty cases between January 1st 2010 and January 1st 2016 seeking a juridical report identifying any condition that might be obstacle to the marriage of girls aged 16 and 17 have been included within the scope of this Sakarya University Child and Adolescent Psychiatry clinic study. The adolescents were examined by 5 different children and adolescent child psychiatrists working in the relevant hospitals for 6 years. The cases were diagnosed in DSM-IV criteria. Results: In 53.8% (n=43) of the cases no mental disorder was identified. Among the rest, the following was detected 18.8% (n=15) attention deficiency hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 5% (n=4) conduct disorder, 3.8% (n=3) anxiety disorder, 2.5% (n=2) depressive disorder, 1.3% (n=1) adjustment disorder, 6.2% (n=6) mental retardation and 19.8% (n=16) borderline intelligence. Discussion: It should be well considered and kept in mind that the girls who have not married also yet to show significant mental disorders. In an attempt to prevent early marriages for girls, close follow-up of children's education and social and mental health must be conducted.