the relationship between self-esteem and quality of life of patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura at isfahan's sayed al-shohada hospital, iran, in 2013

background: idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (itp) is a chronic disease which is accompanied with hopelessness and loss of the sense of well-being due to its symptoms and treatment. it also affects patients' sense of social and spiritual well-being. this disorder decreases patients' self-esteem and their quality of life by changing their mental image and self-confidence. this study was performed to find the relationship between self-esteem and quality of life of patients with itp. materials and methods: this was a descriptive-analytical study on 64 patients with itp who referred to isfahan's sayed al-shohada hospital, iran. in this study, patients with itp were selected randomly using a random number chart. the data collection tools consisted of the world health organization quality of life (whoqol)-bref and coopersmith self-esteem inventory (csei). data were analyzed using spss and chi-square and mann-whitney tests and the pearson and spearman’s rank correlation coefficients. results: in total, 64 patients completed the questionnaires. results showed that 32% of subjects were over 36 years of age and 59% were women. in addition, 29.7% of itp patients had low self-esteem and quality of life. chi-square test showed a significant relationship between self-esteem and quality of life of patients with itp. conclusions: the results of the present study showed that considerable attention must be paid to self-esteem, as one of the most important factors influencing the promotion of quality of life. therefore, it is suggested that patient’s self-esteem be improved by the implementation of educational and psychological programs in order to decrease the consequences of poor quality of life.