PREVALENCE AND BURDEN OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS AMONG THE PARENTS OF THALASSAEMIA MAJOR CHILDREN

Arpita Patel; Dr. Ninad Jhala

Volume : IX, Issue : IV, April - 2020

PREVALENCE AND BURDEN OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS AMONG THE PARENTS OF THALASSAEMIA MAJOR CHILDREN

Arpita Patel, Dr. Ninad Jhala

Abstract :

Background: Thalassaemia is a hereditary disorder that results in reduced production of haemoglobin. Statistics reveal that every year in India thalassaemia major affects over 1, 00,000 people and over 8,000 reported with thalassaemia and there are, however, many more unreported cases as well. Control of thalassaemia in India is a major problem because of ignorance about the chronic disease, social, cultural and religious taboos, customary practices and family influences. Objectives: 1. To study various psychological problems faced by the parents of the children suffering from thalassaemia major. 2. To study association between some of the selected dependent and independent variables Methods: The present descriptive study was conducted in selected Branches of Indian Red Cross Society of Ahmedabad and Vadodara of Gujarat State. The study was conducted during 2017–2020. Stratified Random Sampling method was used for data collection. Total 306 respondents of thalassaemia major children constituted the sample size. Data was collected in a predesigned structured proforma. Data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS. Test of significance (Chi square test) was used where ever necessary. A probability value of <0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Findings: Majority of the respondents i.e.75.2% strongly agree about feeling guilty where as 78.8 % have “why me syndrome” because of having thalassaemia major children.