[Psychosocial issues of mothers whose children have sickle cell disease].
OBJECTIVE
To study and describe the psychological responses (depression and anxiety), the coping strategies, and the impact of sickle cell disease on the quality of life (QOL) of mothers.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study of mothers with affected children was conducted at the university hospital center of Brazzaville, between February and April 2014. Hamilton and Beck scales, the Brief-COPE, and the Short Form Health Survey were used to assess anxiety, depression, coping strategies, and QOL, respectively.


RESULTS
In all, 104 mothers of children with sickle cell disease were surveyed. Of the subjects, 73 (70.2%) had depression and 85 (81.7%) anxiety, while 19 (18.3%) mothers were neither anxious nor depressed. The study shows that depression occurred more often among mothers whose children presented with at least three vaso-occlusive crises (CVO) requiring hospitalization per year (OR=5.1; range=1.8-13.9), at least one blood transfusion (OR=6; range=2.3-15.5), and those whose disease had been known for at least 5 years (OR=3; range=1.2-7.2). On the contrary, maternal anxiety was influenced only by the number of transfusions and CVO requiring hospitalization. The main coping strategy was religious coping (65.4%) followed by acceptance (60%). The QOL of mothers with affected children was impaired in 56.7% of cases. Altered QOL was related to the number of hospitalized CVO per year, i.e., equal to or greater than 3 (OR=6.5; range=2.1-19.6 [P<0.01]), and the number of blood transfusions equal to or greater than 1 (OR=2.9; range=1.2-7.3 [P<0.025]).


CONCLUSIONS
Sickle cell disease is a heavy burden for mothers caring for these children. Mental health disorders are present at the time of diagnosis and in everyday life.
Service de pédiatrie nourrissons, CHU de Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Congo.
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Nika
Service de pédiatrie nourrissons, CHU de Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Congo; Faculté des sciences de la santé, université Marien Ngouabi, BP 32, Brazzaville, Congo. Electronic address: jmabialababela@yahoo.fr.
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Mabiala Babela
Faculté des sciences de la santé, université Marien Ngouabi, BP 32, Brazzaville, Congo; Service de soins intensifs pédiatriques, CHU de Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Congo.
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Moyen
Faculté des sciences de la santé, université Marien Ngouabi, BP 32, Brazzaville, Congo; Service de soins intensifs pédiatriques, CHU de Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Congo.
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Kambourou
Faculté des sciences de la santé, université Marien Ngouabi, BP 32, Brazzaville, Congo.
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Lombet
Service de pédiatrie nourrissons, CHU de Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Congo.
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Mouanga Mpolo
Faculté des sciences de la santé, université Marien Ngouabi, BP 32, Brazzaville, Congo.
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Moyen
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D003223:Congo; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D055815:Young Adult