Chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) is a frequently occurring disease that seems to be associated with a number of psychological factors. This study aims to determine the frequency of psychiatric disorders and to assess the depression and anxiety symptom severity in a group of children with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU).

The study group included 30 children, ranging in age from 8 to 16 years, with CIU who attended to the Pediatric Allergy Clinic of the Istanbul Faculty of Medicine and 30 healthy subjects matched for age and sex. The psychiatric disorders were evaluated by using Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL). State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and Child Behavior Checklist (4-18) were used to examine the levels of depression and anxiety.

The K-SADS-PL revealed a psychiatric diagnosis in 63% of the patients. In terms of the distribution of psychiatric diagnoses, the most frequently occurring diagnosis was anxiety disorders (33%), namely simple phobia (21%) and social anxiety disorder (18%). State anxiety scores were significantly higher in children with CIU than controls but not trait anxiety and depression scores. No significant relationships were found between urticaria activity score, duration of illness, age onset and depression and anxiety scores.

Psychiatric disorders were frequent in the group children with CIU. Clinicians should be more aware of accompanying psychiatric symptoms in this group of cases.