Which psychological aspects and individual difference factors affect quality of life of individuals with Thalassemia?

Abstract

Thalassemia's chronic nature of treatments (e.g. iron chelation) undoubtedly affect patients' lives (Scalone et al., 2008). Studies suggest that individuals with thalassemia report lower quality of life (QoL) compared to non-patient populations (Sobota et al, 2011). This study aimed to examine the relationship between individual differences and other psychological factors and QoL in order to investigate the factors that affect QoL in thalassemia patients. Eighty-seven individuals with thalassemia completed a set of questionnaires assessing QoL (SF-36) and individual difference factors (e.g. experiential avoidance). Results showed that individuals high in anxiety showed lower mental QoL compared to those low in anxiety. Individuals with low experiential avoidance showed higher QoL than those with high experiential avoidance. Also, concerns about treatment were found to be related to lower QoL. However, QoL was not related to gender, depression levels or perceived locus of control. These results show that several psychological factors affect the level of physical and mental QoL and it is important to take them into account when developing psychological interventions with the aim of improving QoL among patients with thalassemia.