The Relationship between Social Support and Depression in Patients with Thalassemia Major in Bushehr, Iran

Thalassemia major (TM) is among the most common genetic diseases in Iran and around the world. Like any other chronic disease, TM exerts negative physical and psychological effects. Depression is one of the most important psychological effects of TM which affects a large percentage of the patients.
To determine the association between depression and social support in patients with TM.
This cross-sectional study recruited 180 patients with TM from thalassemia centers in Bushehr, Iran during 2014. The patients were selected using census sampling. The Beck Depression Inventory and the Social Support Appraisals Scale were administered for data collection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t, chi square, and Tukey’s post hoc tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson's correlation analysis. All analyses were performed in SPSS 19.0 at a significance level of 0.05.
The patients’ mean depression score was 11.57 ± 9.87. According to the obtained Pearson’s correlation coefficients, depression had significant inverse relationships with the total scores of social support and the scores of family support and support from other significant individuals. However, the relationship between friend support and depression was not statistically significant.
The present study highlighted the role of social support in reducing the rates of depression among patients with TM. Therefore, individuals with TM need to receive not only routine medical care, but also support from strong social networks.