Author(s)

Agneta Bergsten Brucefors¹, Jacek Hochwälder², Jessica Sjövall¹, Lena Hjelte¹

¹Stockholm CF Centre, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
²Department of Psychology, M?lardalen University, Eskilstuna, Sweden.

The aim was to examine depression and anxiety among parents of children with Cystic Fibrosis and the association between the parents’ symptoms and the child’s quality of life as rated by the parents. Parents completed HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and CES-D (Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), and assessed the children’s quality of life with CFQ-R (Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised). Anxiety amongst the parents was higher than the general population (m = 6.55, SD = 3.54, p < 0.001). The level of depression does not differ from that of the general population. Mothers showed more anxiety symptoms than fathers (p < 0.001). Gender differences were not significant for depression symptoms. There is a strong association between the fathers’ self-rated depression and their rating of their child’s health. Both children and parents should be paid attention to in order to identify mental ill-health and take measures in good time.

Cystic Fibrosis, Depression, Anxiety, Quality of Life, Parents, Children

Brucefors, A. , Hochwälder, J. , Sjövall, J. and Hjelte, L. (2015) Depression and Anxiety among Parents of Children with Cystic Fibrosis Related to the Children’s Health Related Quality of Life. Open Journal of Nursing, 5, 482-489. doi: 10.4236/ojn.2015.55051.