Evaluation of Psychopathology and Quality of Life in Children with Celiac Disease and their Parents

• Published in: Gazi tıp dergisi Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 43 - 47
• Main Authors: Özmen,Sevgi, Demirci,Esra, Kara,Aziz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Gazi Üniversitesi Yayınları 01-01-2019
• Subjects: Sağlık Hizmetleri; Tıp; Ankara; Türkiye; Ergen; Psikopatoloji; Celiac; Çölyak; Quality of Life; Çocuk; Children; Psychopathology; Adolescents; Yaşam Kalitesi
• ISSN: 2147-2092; 2147-2092
• DOI: 10.12996/gmj.2019.11

Objective: Celiac disease is a chronic disorder which is among common causes
of malabsorption at childhood and can affect children and adults lifelong.
Celiac disease negatively affects psychosocial development of children and
adolescents and impairs health-related quality of life. In this study, it was
aimed to assess levels of depression and anxiety in children and adolescents
with Celiac disease, relationship between these parameters and quality of life
in the patients and their mothers.
Method : Forty children and adolescents with Celiac disease (aged 8-18 years)
who were followed in Pediatric Gastroenterology Department of Erciyes
University, Medicine School for at least 6 months and their mothers were
included to the study. Forty age- and sex-matched subjects and their mothers
were employed as control group. In all children and adolescents, it was asked
to complete ‘Depression Scale for Children, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and
Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory’. All mothers were asked to complete ‘Posttraumatic
Stress Disorder Scale and Quality of Life Inventory’.
Results : Each group consisted of 17 males (42.5%) and 23 females (57.5%). In
each groups, there are 22 (55%) individuals in the 8-12 age group and 18 (45%)
individuals in the 13-18 age group. No significant difference was detected in
depression scale scores between children and adolescents with Celiac disease
and controls. Anxiety levels were found to be higher in pediatric age group
when compared to controls while no significant difference was detected
between adolescents and controls. No significant difference was detected in
perception of quality of life in children and adolescents and their mothers in
both groups. Post-traumatic stress level was found to be higher in mothers of
children and adolescents with Celiac disease when compared to those in
mothers of controls.
Conclusion : There was an increase in anxiety levels in children with celiac
diagnoses and an increase in trauma symptoms in their mothers and no
difference in quality of life was found. It was concluded that Celiac disease
affecting children and their family with many problems and impaired quality
of life in children and adolescents, but many factors play role in this process.