PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL STRESS IN MOTHER OF CHILDREN WITH ATOPIC DERMATITIS

Abstract

Introduction. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease characterized by the appearance of
eczematous and lichenoid rashes, as well as severe itching. This disease can cause psychological problems, both in the
child himself and in his parents. Difficulties in caring for a child with atopic dermatitis can lead to emotional exhaustion in the
mother, provoking symptoms of depression and anxiety.
The purpose of our study was to investigate the relationship of anxiety and depression of mothers with clinical and
anamnestic data of children with atopic dermatitis.
Materials and methods. The cross-sectional study included 120 mothers of children with atopic dermatitis aged 2
months to 14 years inclusive. All children were assessed the severity of the course of the disease, the prevalence of the
process, its form. To assess the psycho-emotional status of mothers, the GAD-7 questionnaires were used to determine the
level of anxiety of a woman and PHQ-9 to determine the level of depression.
Results. According to the results of our study, it was found that among children suffering from atopic dermatitis with
higher prevalence in girls. Clinical manifestations of the disease, as a rule, begin at the age of two months to two years, and
the predominant form is the erythematous-squamous form with limited localization of the disease and a mild course. Among
the psycho-emotional disorders in mothers of children with atopic dermatitis, anxiety was most often observed. The presence
of anxiety in the mother increases the likelihood of a moderate course of the disease in children by almost 1.5 times. At the
same time, depression in the mother was not associated with any clinical and anamnestic factor of the disease.
Conclusions. Timely diagnosis of anxiety and the implementation of measures aimed at reducing it in mothers of
children suffering from atopic dermatitis can help reduce the likelihood of disease progression.