Is COVID-19 Related Anxiety Higher in Children With Chronic Kidney Disease Than Healthy Children?

Background Since the emergence and worldwide spread of the new Coronavirus pandemic(COVID-19), it has caused people to be psychologically adversely affected. This study aimed to assess anxiety levels during COVID-19 in children with chronic kidney disease(CKD), including nephrotic syndrome(NS) and kidney transplantation(Tx). Methods A case-control, cross-sectional study was conducted with children aged of 10 to 18 years, who had been followed with diagnosis of CKD,NS,Tx between April and July 2020. Healthy control group was recruited age and gender-matched children. A questionnaire with printed and online version is designed in three parts: demographic characteristics, opinions about the pandemic, Turkish version of The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale- Child Version (RCADS-CV). Results Total of 88 children completed the questionnaire. The patient and control groups were similar by gender, age, household members and history of psychiatric treatment. Both groups stated that coronavirus is a risky disease for children(63.6%), they were afraid of contagion(69.3%). Only half of them were receiving realistic and informative answers from family members. In RCADS-CV, 66% of them get high score from at least one subscale. Social Phobia(SP) scores of the control group was higher, although the high-scoring ratios were similar. The ratio of high-scored participants was higher in CKD patients for Panic Disorder, and was lower in immunosuppressive agent group for SP. Conclusion The current COVID-19 pandemic is a disaster that children encounter for the first time in their lives. It does not exclusively cause anxiety among children with chronic kidney diseases, but also healthy children.