Depression and Anxiety among Parents of Children with Blood Disease in Ahvaz, South West of Iran

Background Existence the children with blood diseases in family could cause lots of stress and anxiety for parents, this stress among parents would negative effects on children s disease process and his response to treatment. Materials and Methods This is a descriptive-analytical study which carried out on 480 parents with children affected to blood disease referring to Shafa hospital of Ahvaz, Iran.  The parents’ level of anxiety was evaluated using the Hospital Scale for Anxiety and Depression. In this study Sample size by using statistical formulas was selected 480 persons by available sampling. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16 software. Results Results showed that in 20.4% (98 cases) of parents level of anxiety was intense, in 50.7% (243 cases) level of anxiety was middle, in 15.6% (75 cases) level of anxiety was low and 13.3% (64 cases) of parents were lack of anxiety. Additionally the results of level depression study showed that 8.6% (41cases) of parents had severe depression, 35.7% (171 cases) moderate depression, 15.7% (76 cases) low depression and 40% (192 cases) no depression. According to the results of this study, there was a significant difference between level of anxiety and depression of parents and the duration of child s hospitalization (P<0.05).    Conclusion According to the results, high prevalence of anxiety and depression was among parents; so with treatment and management of anxiety and stress in parents of children; it can be achieved to better treatment in children with blood disease.

Keywords:

Anxiety , Children , Depression , Blood diseases , parents