Evaluation of Sleep Disturbances and Depression in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Using the Beck Depression Inventory and Child Sleep Disorder Scale: Relationship with Leukocyte and Neutrophil Counts

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: The pathophysiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), the most widespread rheumatologically illness in juvenile period, is shaped by complex interactions between leukocytes and the cytokines they secrete. The aim of this research was to evaluate the severity of sleep disturbances and depression, which are closely associated with many diseases and can negatively impact the course of the illness, in patients with JIA using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC) scores and to investigate the relationship between these scores and laboratory findings in patients with JIA. <b>Methods</b>: The research involved 58 children with JIA and 71 healthy children as controls. BDI and SDSC scores of these groups were compared with laboratory findings and correlation analysis were performed. <b>Results</b>: In the JIA group, BDI and SDSC scores, C-reactive protein (CRP), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, neutrophil, and leukocyte counts, were higher than in the control group, while vitamin D values were lower. A positive relation was determined between BDI and SDSC scores in the JIA group, but no correlation was found in the control group. In the JIA group, both BDI and SDSC scores were found to be negatively related with leukocyte and neutrophil counts. In the control group, the BDI score was determined to be negatively correlated with CRP, vitamin D and RDW levels. <b>Conclusions</b>: Depression and sleep disorders may interact in patients with JIA, and their causal relationship with leukocyte and neutrophil levels should be investigated.