Effect of parental depression level on children's quality of life after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PURPOSE: This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to determine the impact of parental depression level on children's quality of life after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

METHOD: This study was conducted in a bone marrow transplantation unit of a children's hospital in Ankara, Turkey. The research sample consisted of 82 parents. Children aged 2-18 years and monitored in polyclinics 100 days after HSCT were included in the study. A sociodemographic data form, parent forms of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used.

RESULTS

Forty (48%) mothers and 42 (51.2%) fathers participated in the study. Of the children, 30 (36.6%) were female and 52 (63.4%) were male, and their mean age was 10.68 [standard deviation (SD) 4.80] years. Twenty-six children (31.7%) had been diagnosed with thalassaemia, and 29 children (35.4%) had undergone HSCT in the previous 25-36 months. The mean total scale score on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory was 61.37 (SD 21.85), and the mean parental BDI Score was 14.57 (SD 11.03). Fourteen (17.1%) parents had severe depression and 10 (12.2%) parents had moderate depression. Low statistical correlation was found between the parental BDI score and the total scale score on the Pediatric Quality of Life (r = -0.281; P = 0.011).

CONCLUSION

Parental depression level affects children's quality of life after HSCT. Following transplantation, it is important to evaluate parental depression level and provide support.