Evaluation of Depression and Anxiety Levels of Parents of Children with Spina Bifida

Between January 2024 and December 2024, the demographic data of patients with spina bifida under follow-up, as well as the results of dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) static renal scintigraphy, urinary ultrasonography (USG), and voiding cystourethrography (VCUG), which indicate upper urinary tract (UUT) damage, were recorded. Symptom scoring was performed on the primary caregiver of the child, and anxiety and depression scores were calculated. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory were used to assess these symptoms in the parents. The presence of renal scarring, hydronephrosis, or vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in the DMSA was considered as UUT damage. Patients were divided into subgroups based on demographic data, UUT damage, history of febrile urinary tract infections (UTIs), incontinence, and the presence of motor deficits. These groups were then compared in terms of anxiety and depression scores.