Abstract

Background: Caring for children living with sickle cell disease (SCD) places significant psycho logical, social, and financial demands on informal caregivers. Persistent caregiving responsibilities may predispose caregivers to symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as increased
caregiver burden. This study examined the relationship between symptoms of anxiety and depression, and caregiver burden among informal caregivers of children with SCD attending a specialist clinic in Maiduguri, Nigeria.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 193 informal caregivers of children diagnosed with SCD attending the sickle cell clinic of the State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri. Eligible participants were adult caregivers directly responsible for the child’s care for at least
one year. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Family Burden Interview Schedule (FBIS). SPSS was used to analyze the data that was obtained. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and Pearson
Product Moment Correlation were employed to assess the relationship between symptoms of anxiety and depression, and caregiver burden.
Results: The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among caregivers was 63.2% and 66.9%, respectively. High objective caregiver burden was reported by 65.3% of participants, while 85.5% experienced high subjective burden. The correlation coefficient (r) between anxiety symptoms and severity of burden of care is 0.752 while the correlation coefficient (r) between depressive symptoms and severity of burden is 0.691, indicating a strong positive correlation between these two variables. Financial burden was the most common burden subtype (71.5%),
followed by adverse effects on caregivers’ mental health (64.2%). Significant relationships were found between caregiver burden and both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Caregivers with severe burden had higher mean anxiety and depression scores compared with those with moderate burden. Financial burdens, disruption of family activities, effects on family mental health, and subjective burden were significantly associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Conclusion: Informal caregivers of children living with SCD experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, and caregiver burden. Anxiety and depressive symptoms are associated with increased caregiver burden, highlighting the need for routine psychological assessment and supportive interventions targeting caregivers within SCD care programs.

Key words: SCD, anxiety, depression, caregivers, Nigeria.