Mental Health of Siblings of Children with Rare Congenital Surgical Diseases during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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In brief
In brief
Cross-sectional study of 81 siblings of children with rare congenital surgical diseases found comparable emotional and behavioral difficulties to pre-pandemic norms, with lower impairment rates than general pediatric populations during COVID-19. Results highlight the need for routine psychosocial screening of siblings in rare disease families to prevent psychiatric disorders, particularly during public health crises.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our society, particularly vulnerable groups, such as families with children suffering from rare diseases. However, the psychosocial influences of COVID-19 on the healthy siblings of children with rare diseases have not been investigated yet. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the mental health of healthy siblings of children with rare congenital surgical diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Material and methods Siblings of children with rare congenital surgical diseases were investigated cross-sectionally between April 2020 and April 2021. Data on mental health were collected using the parent-version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
Results Out of 104 families, 81 (77.88%) participated in the survey. Healthy siblings presented with comparable levels of emotional and behavioral difficulties compared with population norms before the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared with studies that surveyed child and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, parents of siblings in this study reported a significantly lower impairment rate. Psychosocial and disease-specific risk factors of the respective outcomes in healthy siblings were identified through regression analysis models.
Conclusion In general, health-care professionals should be aware of the possibility of siblings' mental health being at risk. Therefore, screening for psychosocial deficits may be essential in preventing psychiatric disorders in this population, especially during pandemics.
Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04382820 (registered April 8, 2020)