Хроничното заболяване и неговото въздействие върху тревожността и депресията при деца
Chronic Illness and its Impact on Anxiety and Depression in Children

Summary/Abstract: Chronic illnesses are defined as physical or mental conditions that affect the functioning of individuals for a period of time longer than three months a year or individuals hospitalized for longer than a month. This study’s aim is to provide a scientific contribution to understanding the symptoms of anxiety and depression in children with chronic illnesses. Emotional problems are closely related to chronic illness. The participants of this quantitative study are 32 pediatric patients ranging from ages 6-13 years old, 28 of who were taken from QSUT and the other 4 from Pogradec Hospital Center. Anxiety was identified by the Children’s Anxiety Inventory (STAI-CH), while depression was identified by the Patient Questionnaire (PhQ-9). The results obtained from the SPSS statistical analysis did not support the first hypothesis of the study regarding the relationship between chronic illness and anxiety. Likewise, the second hypothesis of the study regarding the relationship between chronic illness and depression was also not supported. However, the third hypothesis of the study was supported, stating that the hospitalized children exhibit higher levels of anxiety and depression than those in the outpatient clinic. This study, contrary to the other studies, did not find a significant relationship between anxiety, depression and chronic illness, but brought other important results to be applied in future studies.

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