A Clinical Pharmacist-Based Screening for Depression in Children With Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia in Malaysia

An understanding of the psychosocial problems in pediatric patients with thalassemia is crucial, as depression has been shown to affect their adherence to long-term treatment including iron-chelating agents. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of depression in
children and adolescents with transfusion-dependent thalassemia through screening by a pharmacist in a tertiary care center. Of the 63 participants screened using the Children Depression Inventory (CDI), 19% (n= 12) were identified to have depression. The finding is
consistent with those of the previous studies, suggesting that pharmacists could play a role in identifying the depressed patients by using a validated tool, refer them to physicians for clinical diagnosis, and make recommendations to change or modify the treatment if necessary.