Changes In Psychosocial Status And Quality Of Life In Pediatric Patients With Cutaneous Leishmaniasis.

Background: Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease transmitted by the bite of sandflies that can affect different body systems. It is stated that 350 million people in the world are at risk of infection [1, 2]. Dermatological disorders as like cutaneous leishmaniasis are known to have negative effects on the psychosocial status and quality of life of children [3]. The aim of this study was to determine the psychosocial status and dermatological quality of life before and after treatment, the duration of positive changes after treatment, and other factors that affect the changes due to treatment in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis(CL) aged 6-17 years. Methods: This follow-up study was conducted at the Sanliurfa Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Diagnosis and Treatment Center(SCLDTC) between December 2019 and November 2020. The study included 48 children aged 6-17 years, who applied to the SCLDTC with the suspicion of CL, were diagnosed with CL, and who accepted intralesional treatment with pentavalent antimony compounds. Results: The median age of the children participating in the study was 11.5(mean 11.4 2.7) years. The lesions were present in the facial area in 41.7% of the patients. The families of 47.9% of the patients were seasonal agricultural workers. It was found that social anxiety score and dermatological quality of life score in children started to decrease at the end of the 3rd month after treatment and continued to decrease at the end of the 6th month after treatment. It was found that depression and stigma scores started to decrease at the end of the 3rd month after treatment and remained at the same level until the end of 6 months(p < 0.05). Conclusions: It was observed that psychosocial status and quality of life, which were negatively affected by CL lesions in children, changed positively with treatment. Furthermore, it was found that this improvement lasted at least 6 months in different dimensions and at different rates. Key messages: It was observed that the negative effects in social anxiety, depression, dermatological quality of life, and stigmatization scores, continued for 6 months despite the treatment. Children in the 7–11 age group and children of SAW families should be considered as a high-risk group in terms of psychosocial burden associated with the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]