Discussing the Relationship of Thalassemia with Psychosocial Development and Mental Health with Health Psychology Concepts

Abstract

Thalassemia is a common single gene disorder and a major health problem in humans. Thalassemia is inherited from biological parents. It is therefore the duty of every adult to be tested before marriage and to be informed about transmission. The World Health Organization reports that there are approximately 266 million carriers worldwide, with a thalassemia and abnormal hemoglobin carrier prevalence of 5.1%. Thalassemia, a serious blood disease requiring continuous blood transfusions, manifests itself with different developmental characteristics such as fatigue, pallor, loss of appetite, restlessness, abdominal distension as a result of enlarged liver and spleen, frequent fever, changes in the skeletal system, changes in the bones starting from the face and head bones, starting in the first months of life (3-18). The regular blood transfusions and medical treatment necessities of these patients begin with this period. Treatments are difficult and expensive. All these physiological problems and difficulties also lead to psychological disorders. However, it is now known that health can be experienced with the diagnosis of thalassemia, which is a serious disease. In this study, it is aimed to discuss the relationship between thalassemia, psychosocial development and mental health with the concepts of health psychology.