Evaluation of the psychological problems in children with sickle cell anemia and their families

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a chronic disease and it would be expected that the children with SCA are at high risk of developing psychosocial problems. In this study the authors intended to evaluate both the psychiatric problems among SCA patients and their families and put forward the relation between the clinical findings and psychiatric problems. Forty children were included in the study. The patients were classified according to their histories of painful crises in the past 1 year. The children who have had a history of painful crisis 1-4, 5-10, and over 10 times were classified as group 1, group 2, and group 3, respectively. The depression levels of the children in group 3 were higher than group 1 (P = .018). The state of the anxiety level of the children and Beck Anxiety Inventory of the mothers were higher in group 3 than in group 1 (P = .004). In addition, anxiety levels of the mothers who had children with social limitations and painful episodes were higher than the anxiety levels of the mothers who had children without social limitations and painful episodes (P = .006 and P = .004, respectively). We found a relationship between the anxiety and depression levels in children and the anxiety, depression, and marital adjustment levels in mothers. In conclusion, the frequency of psychological disorders appears to increase in patients with SCA, as with many chronic diseases. Especially, the patients who had higher frequencies of painful crises and their mothers had increased depression and state anxiety levels. Thus, the patients with SCA and their families should be evaluated regularly in terms of psychological disorders.