Comparison Quality of Life and Emotional Processing among Patients with Major Thalassemia, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and Healthy People

This study aimed at comparing emotional processing and quality of life among patients with major thalassemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and healthy individuals.

The present causal-comparative study was conducted on patients with thalassemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and healthy people in Saravan City in 2017. In this study, the available sampling method was conducted and 153 individuals (major thalassemia = 53, type 2 diabetes mellitus = 50, and healthy people = 50) were selected. Later, emotional processing and quality of life questionnaires were distributed among the participants. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc test by running SPSS version 23.

In the thalassemia group, the mean score of emotional processing was higher than the other two groups; whereas, the mean score of the quality of life was lower compared with the other study groups. The three groups were significantly different in terms of emotional processing and the quality of life. The paired comparison between the groups showed that the signs of unprocessed emotion components of emotional processing were lower in the healthy group compared with the two patients’ groups. However, among the components of the quality of life, the mean scores of personal benefit, relationships, and environmental factors were higher among the healthy group.

Chronic diseases affect emotional processing and the individuals’ quality of life. Therefore, we recommend to health centers to conduct comprehensive and preventive programs to improve participants’ mental health.