ABSTRACT

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a disease with a risk of becoming chronic in which physical and mental difficulties are experienced during diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. In this study, we aimed to determine the psychological status, importance and significance of psychopathology in children with chronic ITP using psychiatric scales.

It was planned to conduct a cross-sectional study by collecting the records of our patients with chronic ITP aged 3-18 years, who are being followed in the 3rd level health center, for evaluation. The study included 35 chronic ITP and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. The psychological states of the patients, healthy control group and their parents were evaluated with the help of proven data collection tools under the guidance of a specialist psychiatrist.

In the chronic ITP group, a difference was found between the Rosenberg self-esteem scale mean scores, mother’s Beck hopelessness scale median scores, mother’s perceived stress scale mean scores, strengths difficulties parent form total difficulty score median, strengths parental form social behavior median values, median values of the adolescent form total strengths difficulty score (p<0.001; for each), and between the two groups in the assessment of strengths and difficulties adolescent form social behaviors (p=0.003). There was no statistically significant difference between the distribution of other variables between the patient and control groups (p>0.050).

Attention deficit, hyperactivity, behavioral problems, emotional problems, peer problems, social behavior and ego problems are common in chronic ITP in childhood. This challenging situation also affects parents. It should be known that chronic ITP, like other chronic diseases, causes chronic and intractable mental problems, and this psychiatric process should be managed together with the medical treatment of the disease.

Keywords: Childhood, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, psychiatry