Psychopathology in children and adolescents with sickle cell disease followed up in a pediatric hematology unit of a tertiary hospital in Portugal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25753/BirthGrowthMJ.v34.i4.36976Keywords:
ADHD, anxiety, depression, psychological problems, psychopathologyAbstract
Introduction: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic disease characterized by abnormal hemoglobin. The existing literature highlights a heightened prevalence of emotional problems among children and adolescents with SCD, with depressive and anxiety disorders reported more frequently. This study aimed to quantify the proportion of patients with SCD with the SS phenotype at a tertiary hospital in Portugal who were referred to the hospital’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP)/Psychology services, and to identify any diagnosed psychopathology.
Methods: This was a descriptive, retrospective observational study conducted to analyze the prevalence of psychopathology in children and adolescents with SCD. We reviewed the records of 30 patients followed up in the Pediatric Hematology Unit of Hospital Santo António during 2023. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed.
Results: Of the 23 patients with SCD who met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study, five (22%) were referred to CAP/Psychology services. Among these, two (40%) were diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One of these patients with ADHD had comorbid major depressive disorder, insomnia, specific learning disorder, and primary nocturnal enuresis, while the other presented comorbid trichotillomania and oppositional defiant disorder.
Conclusion: Over a fifth of the children and adolescents with SCD followed up in our hospital’s pediatric hematology unit were referred for mental health consultation. Based on these results, a multidisciplinary approach to SCD care that includes CAP services is recommended to screen for and treat mental health problems.
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