TELEVISION AND LEISURE HABITS IN A CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENT POPULATION

M. Bonkowski, F. Specht

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Klinik für Kinder- und

Jugendpsychiatrie, Göttingen, Germany

OBJECTIVE: Television is accepted as a factor of socialisation. From hundreds of studies it is known that adverse effects can result from TV abusus. Still most of the studies on TV habits and effects are focused on healthy children. The aim of this investigation was to explore the television and leisure habits of psychiatric patients and compare them to a controlgroup of healthy children.

METHODS: In the first six month of 1993 all children from the age of eight to thirteen that came into the clinic for a consultation for the first time were included. The instruments of this exploration were two questionaires adressed to the children and their parents. Three questions were to be answered. The first was a timetable to document the time spent watching TV during the last three days, the second aimed at favourite programs, and the third was a ranking of leisure activities.

RESULTS: Onehundredandfifty-six children and their parents were evaluated. According to the diagnosis five patientgroups were established: Children with developmental retardation (n=63), children with hyperkinetic disorders (n=33), children with antisocial behaiviors (n=9), children with emotional disturbances (n=15) and children with organic/ pyschosomatic disorders (n=14). These groups were compared to a controlgroup, recruted from a local school (n=22) by statistical analysis (Wilcoxon test and Chi Square tests). The mean time of daily television in the controlgroup was 63 minutes. The tests found that children with hyperkinetic disorders watch more TV than the controlgroup (p<0,05). Children with antisocial behavior have a higher TV consume (p=0,06), watch more aggressive-laden programs (i.e. crime dramas and cartoons) (p<0,05), and have less contact with friends. And the emotional disturbed children watch more TV (p<0,05) and have less social contacts with parents and friends. The other two groups showed no significant differences to the controlgroup.

CONCLUSIONS: Since pathogenetic effects of TV are widly accepted a systematic TV history in psychiatric patients should be established. Media counseling is needed for children with a higher disposition for adverse TV effects including help in program selection, TV perception and arranging television-free intervals. Also the discussion about media effects should become more intensive within child and adolescent psychiatrists and pediatricians.