The Relationship between the Severity of Atopic Dermatitis in Children and Psychological Characteristics of Mothers

Abstract

Background: More than 10% of Iranian children are affected with atopic dermatitis. Symptoms of the disease like itching and eczema can lead to emotional and sleep disorders in children and impose a lot of stress on parents. It can also have great time and money burden for families. Hence implementing consultation programs for parents can improve the effectiveness of treatment. Similarly, recognizing the relations between psychological characteristics of sick children’s mothers and the severity of the disease can result in more efficient treatment and support. Methods: The disease severity of 82 children with atopic dermatitis was measured. The psychological characteristics of the children’s mothers were evaluated by 5 questionnaires including depression anxiety stress scale (DASS), the Frost’s multidimensional perfectionism scale, the neuroticism, extraversion, openness five-factor inventory (NEO-FFI), general health questionnaire, and the parenting styles scale. Pearson’s correlation was used to analyze the relations between variables. Findings: There were positive, significant relationships between severity of the child’s disease and the mother’s level of stress and perfectionism. Significant negative relationships were found between severity of the child’s disease and the mother’s level of extraversion, self-openness, and general health. Conclusion: Strong relationships between severity of atopic dermatitis in children and psychological characteristics of mothers necessitate simultaneous therapeutic interventions for both children and mothers. Keywords: Atopic dermatitis, Psychological stress, Perfectionism