Pediatr Pulmonol. 2025 Oct;60(10):e71356. doi: 10.1002/ppul.71356.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: While most studies on Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease (chILD) focus on somatic outcomes, little is known about the long-term outcome on mental health in this population. Therefore, we assessed mental health in former chILD patients compared to the general population.
METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional, retrospective single-center study assessed present and lifetime depression and anxiety, quality of life (QoL), social function, adaptive behavior, and cognitive functions in a sample of 53 patients (29 males) presently aged 6.4-30.7 years previously diagnosed with chILD treated with systemic corticosteroids (sCCS). A Cohen’s d > 0.5 was used to determine whether patients on group average showed a clinically minimal relevant difference from standardized norms.
RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of anxiety or depression was 34% and 31%, respectively, with 25% and 9.4% still meeting the criteria at the time of assessment. Patients reported reduced QoL (d = 0.70), which was associated with worse current clinical status. Those who initiated sCCS treatment during preschool-age had reduced working memory (d = 0.61) and processing speed (d = 0.57). No deficits were found on general intelligence, memory, social, or adaptive functioning measures.
CONCLUSION: Former chILD patients demonstrate lower QoL, and a remarkably elevated burden of lifetime anxiety and depression, with a subset of patients continuing to experience clinically significant symptoms. Subtle cognitive impairments among those patients treated at younger ages highlight the need for long-term psychological and neurocognitive follow-up. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating mental health surveillance into the routine care of chILD.
PMID:41147246 | DOI:10.1002/ppul.71356
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