General health of beta-thalassemia major patients in Gorgan, Iran

Thalassemias is the most common inherited disease in the world. This study was designed to assess general health of patients with beta-thalassemia major in Gorgan, northern Iran. This descriptive study was performed on 163 patients with beta-thalassemia major whom referred to Thalghani hospital in Gorgan, northern Iran. Socio-Psychosocial status of patients was assessed by using general health questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28). Socio-Psychosocial status of 44.2%, 46% and 9.8% of patients was normal, suspected and suffered from psychosocial disorders, respectively. Social dysfunction (12.9%) and depression (10.4%) were the most prevalent and anxiety was the less prevalent (4.9%) in the patients. There were significant correlations between psychosocial status and mother’s ocupation (P<0.05), patients level of education (P<0.05) and history of associated diseases (P<0.05). Social dysfunction and depression were the two major general health complications in beta-thalassemia patients in this region.