Mental health assessment of youth with sickle cell disease and their primary caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT

Youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) and their caregivers are susceptible to stress and depression, perhaps exacerbated by pandemic-associated health and economic concerns. Most of the 50 youth-caregiver dyads enrolled in the multisite trial, Hydroxyurea Adherence for Personal Best in Sickle Cell Treatment (HABIT), took an online survey of self-reported mental health symptoms and food insecurity during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to largely pre-pandemic results, prevalence of mental health symptoms in dyad members appeared to have shifted fewer youth and more caregivers were affected during the pandemic; many of both groups lacked optimism. Pandemic/post-pandemic screening of youth with SCD for mental health symptoms and food insecurity appears warranted.