Anxiety and depression in children with siblings who have special health care needs: A systematic review

Abstract

Problem: Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health disorders in children and adolescents. Siblings with special healthcare needs can significantly impact the psychosocial development of other children in the family. This review will examine anxiety and depression in children aged eight to 18 who have a sibling with a special healthcare need.

Eligibility criteria: From 2013 to 2023, three databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychArticles) were systematically searched for peer-reviewed studies in English on anxiety and depression in children aged eight to 18 with a sibling with a special healthcare need.

Results: Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, revealing a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression in this population, with five emerging themes: the child's and parent's psychological factors, quality of relationships, parental awareness, demographics, and disease type, and perceived quality of life and support.

Conclusions: Nurses have a crucial role in assessing anxiety and depression signs in children with siblings requiring special healthcare and initiating necessary interventions.

Implications: More research on anxiety and depression is needed for this age group. Providing developmentally targeted interventions to prevent increased symptoms and promote healthy development in children would be beneficial.

Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Mental health; Sibling; Special healthcare need.