Depression, anxiety and suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents with Haemophilia

Abstract

It was aimed to study the prevalence of major depressive disorder, separation anxiety disorder and suicidal behaviour in the children and adolescents with haemophilia. A total of 83 children and adolescents with haemophilia A or B aged 5-19 years old were randomly selected using systematic random sampling method. They were interviewed using the Farsi (Persian) version of Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia by face-to-face interview with the subjects and their primary caregivers, according to the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Major depressive disorder, separation anxiety disorder and suicidal behaviour were surveyed. The rate of major depressive disorder was 6.0%. Approximately 2.4% of the patients were suffering from at least five symptoms of major depression, and 4.8% were suffering from more than five symptoms of major depressive disorder. One-third of the children and adolescents were suffering from irritability. Approximately 36% of the subjects wished to die at least once during the last 6 months. Also, 6% of the subjects had thought about suicidal attempt. Approximately 4.8% of them met the criteria of separation anxiety disorder. The incidences of major depressive disorder and separation anxiety disorder were comparable to that prevalent in the thalassaemic patients. The proportion of patients with death wish was very high. The proportion of patients with suicidal thought and attempt was much lower than that in the children and adolescents with thalassaemia. Therefore, psychiatric consultation needs to be included in the management of these children.