OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the disease and the personality and psychological status of children with the nephrotic syndrome (NS) or acute glomerulonephritis (AGN) and their parents. METHODS: We studied the personality and psychological profiles of the patients and their parents using the EPQ and SCL-90 inventories. RESULTS: In the NS group, the score of P.E inventory was lower while the score of N.L inventory was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). However, the score of P.E.N.L inventory did not show any significant difference between the AGN group and the control group (P>0.05). The results of SCL-90 score showed that the NS group had higher scores in the somatization, interpersonal sensetivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, fear and paranoia (but not obsession and psychiatrics) sections of the test compared to the control group (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the AGN group and the conrol group except in the somatization score. On the other hand, all scores of the parents of the patients were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Children with NS show a tendency towards introversion and emotional liability, and are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, fear and somatization. There was no significant difference between the AGN group and the control group in personality and psychology. The parents of children with NS or AGN have a tendency of introversion and neuoticism. They also have obvious symptoms of depression, anxiety, fear and somatization.