Neurotic manifestations in adolescents with thalassemia major

To study the neurotic manifestations in thalassemic adolescents as a consequence of long-term illness.

From July 2003, thirty six thalassemic adolescents and forty normal adolescents were selected with age ranging from 13 to 18 and with same socio economic status and family background. Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire by Crown and Crisp [1966] was administered and Mann Whiteny 'U' test was employed to measure free-floating anxiety, phobia, somatic anxiety, obsession, depression, hysteria and total neuroticism score. An interview was conducted along with the questionnaire to detect the problems in depth. Parents of thalassemic adolescents were interviewed subsequently to realize the behavioral problems existing along with neuroticism.

Thirty-six of thalassemic and all forty normal adolescents returned the questionnaires. The responses suggest a marked difference in total neuroticism score and all other variables except that of hysteria. The interview on parents of thalassemic adolescents exposed various behavioral problems in these adolescents.

Thalassemic adolescents were having higher scores in neuroticism. Some behavioral problems are also found to exist along with neurotic manifestations. There remains a need to improve the management of thalassemia in terms of psychological aspects in order to improve the mental health of this group.