Comparison of Psychosocial Aspects in Thalassemia and Healthy Adolescents

The purpose of this study was comparing loneliness, hopelessness, self-esteem and social skills in thalassemia and healthy adolescents. A hundred adolescents with thalassemia and 100 healthy adolescents participated in this study. Thalassemia adolescents were selected by convenience sampling from the Center of Special Diseases, Zafar Adult Thalassemia Center and Thalassemia Clinic in Mofid Hospital, Tehran. Healthy adolescents were selected by clustering random sampling from middle and high schools, Tehran. Two groups were matched in age, sex, educational level and family incomes. The instruments used in this study were the sample selection and demographic data sheets, Beck hopelessness scale, loneliness scale, CopperSmith self-esteem questionnaire and Matson social skills questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, chi square, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation in SPSS 14. Findings indicated that statistical significant differences existed between mean scores of hopelessness (p = 0. 047), social skill (p = 0. 038), and self-esteem (p = 0. 033) in thalassemia and healthy adolescents, But there were not significant differences between loneliness in thalassemia and healthy adolescents (p = 0. 387). The results from this study showed that psychosocial problems were common among thalassemia adolescents. It seemed identifying promising resources, promoting mental health and social skills training were necessary for thalassemia adolescents.