The evaluation of depression and anxiety levels of mothers of patients with periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and adenitis syndrome and familial Mediterranean fever

ABSTRACT

Objective

Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis (PFAPA) syndrome and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) are autoinflammatory disorders typically characterized by recurrent fever attacks. These recurrent fever attacks can lead to depression and anxiety in mothers of these patients. This study aimed to compare the depression and anxiety levels in mothers of PFAPA and FMF patients.

Methods

This study is a cross-sectional observational study. 48 mothers of children with FMF and 70 mothers of children with PFAPA participated in the study. Mothers in these two groups were compared in terms of anxiety and depression by using the validated Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).

Results

Depression and anxiety scores of mothers were found to be similar in FMF and PFAPA groups. Moderate or high level of anxiety was seen in 32% of mothers of patients with PFAPA and 27% of mothers of patients with FMF. 23% of mothers of patients with PFAPA were evaluated as having moderate or severe depression, and 18% of mothers of patients with FMF were evaluated as having moderate depression. There was no statistically significant difference between the duration, frequency of attacks, recurrent hospitalizations, sociodemographic characteristics, and inventory scores.

Conclusion

Depression and anxiety scores of mothers with children diagnosed with FMF and PFAPA are similar. These two diseases affect families psychosocially at similar levels. It is important to provide psychosocial support to families.

KEYWORDS:

• Beck anxiety inventory
• beck depression inventory
• familial Mediterranean fever
• periodic fever
• aphthous stomatitis
• pharyngitis
• adenitis
• PFAPA

List of abbreviations

BAI	=	Beck Anxiety Inventory
BDI	=	Beck Depression Inventory
FMF	=	Familial Mediterranean Fever
IQR	=	Interquartile range
PFAPA	=	Periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis, and adenitis

Declaration of financial/other relationships

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. A reviewer on this manuscript has disclosed receiving honoraria and grant support from Novartis and SOBI. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no other relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Author contributions

Manuscript: Elif Arslanoglu Aydin, Semanur Ozdel; literature search: Elif Arslanoglu Aydin, Semanur Ozdel, Esra Baglan, Mehmet Bulbul; study design: Elif Arslanoglu Aydin, Semanur Ozdel, Esra Baglan, Mehmet Bulbul; data collection: Elif Arslanoglu Aydin, Semanur Ozdel, Esra Baglan, Nesibe Gokce Kocamaz, Ilknur Bagrul, Serife Tuncez; data analysis: Elif Arslanoglu Aydin, Semanur Ozdel, Esra Baglan; data interpretation: Elif Arslanoglu Aydin; writing: Elif Arslanoglu Aydin, Semanur Ozdel, Esra Baglan. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Ethics statement

The written consents from the patient families were obtained according to the Declaration of Helsinki (1964) and the study was approved by the ethics committee of the hospital.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.