INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH AND USING COPING STRATEGIES IN PARENTS OF THALASSEMIA AND HEMOPHILIA CHILDREN

Thalassemia and Hemophilia are chronic and inherited diseases that cause
physical, emotional and social damages in both parents and children. Families follow different
strategies to cope with such events. This study was done to assess the relationship between mental
health and coping strategies in parents of Thalassemia and Hemophilia children.
Materials & Methods: This descriptive analytical study included 68% of Thalassemia and Hemophilia
children in Madani Hospital of Khoy. The data were collected by General Health Questionnaire
(GHQ) and coping strategies questionnaire. Cronbach’s alpha reliability test was used to determine the
validity and reliability of the scale.
Results: The results show that mental health (32.91±4.15) and using coping strategies (51.85±13.5)
were middling. The most common coping strategies were beliefs like “to overcome all troubles I trust
in God” (80.9%) and “I try to overcome all my problems” (80/9%). Spearman test showed that there
was a significant and positive relationship between general health and coping strategies (r=0.95,
P<0.001).
Conclusion: Considering this fact that the psychosocial needs in parents of children with chronic
diseases are more than other parents, it seems necessary to consider programs for promotion of mental
health in such parents and families.