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Depression and anxiety in children and adolescents with familial Mediterranean fever

Balahan Makay1, Neslihan Emiroğlu, Erbil Unsal

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Immunology-Rheumatology, Dokuz Eylül University Hospital, Balcova-Izmir, Turkey. balahan.bora@deu.edu.tr

Clinical Rheumatology
|December 25, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Children with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) experience higher depression rates than healthy peers. Disease severity and attack frequency correlate with increased depression, highlighting the need for psychosocial support.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Rheumatology
  • Autoinflammatory Diseases
  • Child Psychology

Background:

  • Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a prevalent autoinflammatory condition requiring chronic management.
  • Understanding the psychological impact, specifically depression and anxiety, in pediatric FMF patients is crucial for comprehensive care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare depression and anxiety levels in children diagnosed with FMF against a healthy control group.
  • To explore potential correlations between psychological symptoms and clinical disease parameters in pediatric FMF.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Screen for Child Anxiety-related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) for assessment.
  • Compared 43 pediatric FMF patients with 53 healthy controls, stratified by age (7-12 and 13-18 years).

Main Results:

  • Pediatric FMF patients exhibited significantly higher depression scores compared to healthy controls (p = 0.001).
  • No significant difference in anxiety scores was observed between FMF patients and controls (p = 0.78).
  • Depression scores correlated significantly with FMF severity (p = 0.01) and number of attacks (p = 0.000); anxiety scores correlated with number of attacks (p = 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric FMF patients demonstrate elevated depression, influenced by disease severity and attack frequency.
  • Anxiety levels were comparable to controls, but linked to attack frequency.
  • Psychosocial assessments and tailored interventions are essential for managing the mental health of children with FMF.

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