The Effect of Group Counseling on the Quality of Life in Patients with Major Thalassemia Referred to the Thalassemia Treatment Center in Bushehr

Abstract

Major Thalassemia is the most common hereditary disease in the world and in Iran. The chronic nature of the disease and complications associated with clinical signs and protests of the disease and its treatment make multiple physical, psychological and social problems and effects on the quality of life in these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of group counseling on quality of life in patients with thalassemia major. Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial. The total number of subjects included 62 patients with thalassemia major from thalassemia treatment center in the Bushehr in 2016, were randomly divided into two groups of 31 people of intervention and control. For intervention group, four sessions of group counseling in behavioral cognitive approach held in two weeks. The quality of life in patients in both groups evaluated before the intervention and one month after the intervention, using the SF-36 questionnaire. The results were analyzed by SPSS software version 23 at a significant level of 0.05. Results: The results of analytical tests showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in demographic variables (P > 0.05). However, the intervention group gained a significant increase in total score of quality of life and its sub-domains after counseling. (P < 0/001). Also, the difference between the mean total scores of quality of life and its sub-domains in the intervention and control groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study showed that the treatment group counseling with cognitive behavioral approach significantly improves the quality of life in patients with Thalassemia major. Therefore it is recommended that this treatment helped to improve the quality of life in these patients.