Last update:
   25-Mar-2014
 

Arch Hellen Med, 31(2), March-April 2014, 200-210

ORIGINAL PAPER

Anxiety and depression in patients with sickle cell disease

Ε. Voulgari,1 M. Gioutsou,1 K. Drouga,1 E. Georgiadi,2 A. Mpaseta,3 M. Polikandrioti1
1First Department of Nursing, Technological Educational Institute, Athens,
2Center of Thalassemia, "Laiko" General Hospital, Athens,
3First Department of Internal Medicine, "Laiko" General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Athens, Greece

OBJECTIVE To explore the anxiety and depression experienced by patients with sickle cell disease.

METHOD The sample consisted of 154 patients with sickle cell disease treated in the day clinic and medical clinic of one public hospital in Attica. Data were collected by the completion of a purpose designed questionnaire which in addition to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and variables related to the patients' views included the self-rated hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADs).

RESULTS According to the HADs scores, 31.8% of the participants experienced a high level of anxiety and 13.6% a high level of depression. Statistically significant correlation was found between the level of anxiety and the presence of another disease (p=0.045), the frequency in change of treatment protocol (p=0.014), difficulty in finding blood for transfusion (p=0.017), difficulties in relationships in the social (p=0.025) and family environment (p<0.001). Statistically significant correlation was found between the level of depression and gender (p=0.007), age (p=0.016), educational level (p=0.006), occupation (p=0.030), marital status (p=0.006) and number of children (p=0.035).

CONCLUSIONS Sociodemographic factors found to be associated with the anxiety and depression experienced by patients with sickle cell disease should be addressed as an integral part of holistic therapeutic intervention.

Key words: Anxiety, Depression, Sickle cell disease.

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