RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The study is aimed to assess psychological problems and quality of life (QOL) in children with thalassemia. METHODS: Thirty-nine children (8-16 yr) with transfusion dependent thalassemia attending day care services for blood transfusion were assessed for psychological problems using the Childhood Psychopathology Measurement Schedule and QOL was assessed using the EQ-5D. RESULTS: Forty-four percent of the children had psychological problems and 74% had a poor QOL. Anxiety-related symptoms (67%), emotional problems, particularly depression (62%) and conduct problems (49%) were the main findings. The children were most likely to report impaired QOL due to severe difficulties in pain/discomfort (64%) dimension, followed by depression and mobility problems of equal severity (33%). The side effects of chelation were an independent predictor of psychological problems and impaired QOL. Also psychological problems were a significant predictor of impaired QOL. CONCLUSION: The recognition and management of the psychological problems that accompany chronic physical illnesses including thalassemia would optimize treatment outcomes and QOL.
Assuntos
Adolescente , Distribuição de Qui-Quadrado , Criança , Doença Crônica , Feminino , Humanos , Modelos Lineares , Masculino , Escalas de Graduação Psiquiátrica , Qualidade de Vida , Fatores de Risco , Talassemia/psicologiaRESUMO
Affective disorders in all forms do occur in persons with mental retardation. The presence and degree of mental retardation modify manifestations of these disorders. Diagnosis is difficult because of the absence of classical manifestations and frequent occurrence of inter-episode behaviour disturbances. Response to treatment may not be as favourable as in their normal counterparts.