Depression and Anxiety Among Siblings of Children with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Background: Siblings of children with a chronic disease, such as cerebral palsy (CP), are considered a “population at risk to experience psychological difficulties”. Objective(s): to estimate the occurrence of depression and anxiety among siblings of children with CP compared to siblings of apparently normal children. Methods: The study was a comparative cross-sectional study. 130 children were recruited from the Outpatient Behaviour and Neurology Clinic. They were divided into two groups: Group I: Included 65 children aged between 7 – 17 years and lived in the same house with their siblings diagnosed with CP. Group II: Included 65 apparently normal children, matched for gender, age, and socioeconomic status with the first group, and having no siblings with CP or other chronic illness. Both groups were subjected to history taking for gender, age, socioeconomic status and psychometric assessment using Kovac Children’s Depression Inventory and Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale. In addition to history of CP in siblings of group I. Results : Depression was found in 33.8% and anxiety in 36.9% in siblings of CP children while depression was found in 16.9% and anxiety in 20% of the control group. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the occurrence of depression and anxiety (p=0.0266, p=0.033 respectively). Conclusion: There is a high occurrence of depression and anxiety among siblings of children with CP compared to the control group. It is recommended to raise the awareness of the pediatric neurologists and general pediatricians to catch early symptoms of depression and anxiety among siblings of children with neurological disability, to improve the quality of life of the whole family.