. Sakineh Dadipoor; . Hamid Haghighi; . Abdoulhhossain Madani; . Amin Ghanbarnejad; . Fatemeh Shojaei; . Aliakbar Hesam; . Ali Safari Moradabadi
Volume 5, Issue 4 , August 2015, , Pages 1-5
Abstract
Introduction: Major thalassemia is a hereditary, chronic blood disease caused by the synthesisdeficiency of one or more polypeptide chains of globin during childhood. This leads to ...
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Introduction: Major thalassemia is a hereditary, chronic blood disease caused by the synthesisdeficiency of one or more polypeptide chains of globin during childhood. This leads to the rise ofblood pressure and family tensions. Therefore, the coping strategies of the family could seriouslyaffect and facilitate the thalassemic child’s healthy growth. The present research sought to investigatethe mental health and coping strategies of families with major thalassemic children in Bandar Abbasin 2013. Materials and Methods: This study is of a descriptive‑analytical and cross‑sectionaltype. Research population consisted of 140 parents of major thalassemic children who visitedShahid Mohammadi Hospital of Bandar Abbas. The instruments used were the 12‑item GeneralHealth Questionnaire of Goldberg and Williams along with the coping strategies questionnaire.Nonprobabilistic, convenient sampling method was used. To analyze the data, Spearman’scorrelation coefficient, Chi‑square and descriptive statistical tests were used. The significancelevel was set at P < 0.05. Results: Data analysis showed that parents’ mental health (32 ± 4.25)along with their coping strategy scores (45 ± 7.50) was about the average. The most prevalentcoping strategies among the parents were represented as: “I trust in God in order to get my problemssolved” (87%), “to get mentally and spiritually relieved, I would visit mosques and holy shrines” (53%),and “to overcome problems, I make harder attempts” (50.7%). A significant correlation was foundbetween the parents’ coping strategies and general health (P < 0.001). A significant correlationwas also observed between mother’s educational level (P = 0.044), age (P = 0.022) and generalhealth. Discussion and Conclusion: According to the results of this research, it is categorical forthe ministry of health and medical education and those in charge to pay special and adequateattention to the social, spiritual, and mental health of these children and their families.
