2022, Vol. 10, Issue 6, Part B

author(s)
Tulsi Tilva and Vidhya Jethwa

abstract
Thalassemia is a genetic disorder that involves abnormal haemoglobin formation. The two main categories of Thalassemia are alpha and beta Thalassemia that are then divided into further subcategories. While some mild forms of Thalassemia might even go unnoticed and only cause mild anaemia and iron deficiency problems in patients, other more severe forms of Thalassemia can even result in death. Individuals with Thalassemia can get treatment according to the level of severity of their condition. In addition, the patient may experience mental and social problems due to the congenital nature of the disease and its lifelong duration. The psychosocial problems and treatment burdens of Thalassemia patients are very high. There are many studies about the prevalence and physical consequences of Thalassemia. However, there are not enough articles and researches describing the psychosocial effects of Thalassemia on patients and what can be done about these effects. For this reason, this paper focuses on the process of Thalassemia and the psychosocial problems it creates to contribute to the literature and to be a roadmap for better handling these patients.