Psychosocial and clinical effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with childhood rheumatic diseases and their parents

This study aimed to evaluate the psychological symptoms of children and adolescents with rheumatological diseases (RD) and their parents during the outbreak. A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted in a cross-sectional design in RD patients and healthy controls. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to evaluate parental psychiatric status; while the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Child was used for children. Four hundred and fifty-nine patients with RD and their parents completed the present study, as well as 336 healthy peers. The age and gender of the children were similar across groups. Under 12 years of age, the trait anxiety of the children and the psychological symptoms of parents were similar across groups; while over 13 years of age, anxiety and depression scores of the parents, as well as trait anxiety of the children were higher than the control groups’ (7.3 ± 3.4 vs 6.3 ± 3.8, p = 0.006 for parental anxiety; 6.6 ± 3.8 vs. 5.3 ± 3.9, p < 0.001 for parental depression; 36.1 ± 8.7 vs. 33.3 ± 7.9, p = 0.002 for child trait anxiety). In patient group, there were no differences in scale scores according to variables such as rheumatological disease diagnosis, the consulting of doctor for treatment, thinking that RD increases the risk of COVID-19, the history of rheumatic disease attack during the pandemic process, and the use of biological agents. The children’s trait anxiety was positively correlated with their parents’ anxiety (r = 0.414, p < 0.001) and depression (r = 0.300, p < 0.001) scores. These findings suggest that clinicians should pay attention to the psychiatric symptoms of both children with RD and their parents during the pandemic.