The Frequency of Psychiatric Disorders in Cystic Fibrosis Patients Aged 5-18 Years in Northwest of Iran

Objectives: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a progressive genetic disorder. So far, no study, to the best of our knowledge, has investigated the psychiatric disorders of CF patients in Iran. Therefore, the present research aimed to determine the frequency of psychiatric disorders in patients with CF. Materials and Methods: A number of 40 patients (24 boys vs. 16 girls) with CF within the age range of 5-18 years were included in this descriptive cross-sectional study, who attended the CF Clinic of Tabriz Children’s hospital. A demographic questionnaire and the Farsi version of Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-present and lifetime (K-SADS-PL, a semi-structured interview) were administered to determine the psychiatric disorders of these patients. Results: Based on the results, separation anxiety was the most common psychiatric disorder (52.5%) among the patients followed by oppositional defiant (35%), major depressive (35%), general anxiety (32.5%), and enuresis (22.5%) disorders. The average age of the patients was 9.95 ± 0.85 years. In addition, the frequency of major depressive disorder was significantly higher in patients above 11 years old. Finally, the incidence of separation anxiety disorder was higher in girls within both age groups while enuresis disorder was significantly more frequent in boys of two age groups. Conclusions: The importance of screening psychiatric disorders was identified based on a high frequency of psychiatric disorders in patients with CF. Therefore, early determination of psychiatric disorders allows for early referral to psychiatric services and thus may result in improving their life quality.