Objective: To assess and compare the Beck Depression Inventory scores of children with type 1 diabetes, Sickle cell anaemia and HIV/AIDS.
Design: Descriptive and comparative cross sectional
Patients and methods: Using the Beck Depression Inventory, we screened 145 adolescents (30 Diabetes, 57 Sickle cell anaemia and 58 HIV) aged 10-18 years who were on follow-up in the consultant paediatric clinic within a six-month period. Demographic characteristics like age, socio-economic status, duration of illness and frequency of admission were used to find out factors affecting the depression score.
Result: The mean age was 14.0 ± 2.54 and there was no difference in the mean age between groups, F=0.740, p=0.479. The population had more children in the middle socio-economic class, 83 (57.2%). Fifty-four (37.2%) subjects had scores in the clinical depression category and difference in proportion between the participants in the three groups with depression was significant, c2=9.441, p=0.002. The mean BDI score was highest among those with sickle disease 15.63 ± 6.71, and lowest in the diabetes patients 12.18 ± 6.02, p=0.303. Stigmatization, suicidal thoughts and insomnia were significant correlates with the mean BDI scores in the three groups, but the disease severity index was only significantly associated with BDI in the HIV/AIDS group.
Conclusion: Fewer children with TIDM had depressive symptoms compared to the SSA and HIV/AIDS counterpart. CD4+ count (disease severity) had a significant association with the BDI score but not HbA1c and stable state haemoglobin.
Keywords: Depression; Children; Diabetes; Sickle cell; HIV/AIDS; Nigeria
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