Hematologic and Demographic Factors as Indicators of Psychiatric Comorbidity in Children with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Pediatric chronic diseases can be associated with hematologic abnormalities and psychiatric comorbidities, but data describing these associations remain limited. The current study aimed to compare demographic and laboratory characteristics between cases and controls, and to examine relationships between sociodemographic factors and psychiatric disorders among pediatric patients. A comparative cross-sectional study included 100 pediatric cases and 100 controls. Demographic variables, growth percentiles, and complete blood count (CBC) abnormalities were analyzed. Among cases, the relationship between demographic factors and the presence of psychiatric disorders was assessed. No significant differences were observed between cases and controls regarding age (p=0.061) or sex distribution (p=0.093). Growth percentiles showed no statistically significant differences in weight (p=0.064) or height (p=0.273). CBC abnormalities varied, with anemia and neutropenia being the most frequent findings among cases. Among the 200 children, 129 (64.5%) had psychiatric disorders. However, psychiatric status was not significantly associated with age, sex, weight percentile, height percentile, or disease duration. Children exhibited variable hematologic profiles, but demographic and growth parameters showed no significant correlation with psychiatric comorbidity. These findings underscore the need for an integrated pediatric and mental health assessment.