Association of mental disorders and strabismus among South Korean children and adolescents: a nationwide population-based study.

purposeThe aim of this study is to determine the association between mental disorders and strabismus in South Korean children and adolescents.

methodsUsing data from the Korean National Health Claims Database from 2011 to 2017, the prevalence rates of mental illnesses and odds ratio were calculated. Children and adolescents (1-19 years) with strabismus and their randomly selected nonstrabismic age- and sex-matched controls (1:1) were enrolled. The odds ratios were adjusted for preterm birth, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation. Subgroup analysis was performed according to sex and the type of strabismus.

resultsA total of 327,076 subjects (male, 158,597; female, 168,479) identified as strabismus patients were enrolled. After adjusting for preterm birth, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation, the corrected odds ratio of overall mental illness was 1.10 (95% CI, 1.08-1.12) for the strabismus group compared to the controls: 1.7 (95% CI, 1.62-1.78) for developmental disorder, 1.36 (95% CI, 1.27-1.45) for pervasive developmental disorder (autism), 1.14 (95% CI, 1.10-1.17) for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 1.15 (95% CI, 1.05-1.27) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), 1.08 (95% CI, 1.05-1.11) for pediatric behavioral and emotional disorders, 0.93 (95% CI, 0.88-0.99) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.82-0.89) for tic disorder.

conclusionSouth Korean children and adolescents with strabismus had a higher relative risk for various types of mental disorders such as a developmental disorder, autism, ADHD, and OCD than the controls, whereas they had a relatively lower risk of tic disorder.