Effect of Individual Psychotherapy with a Focus on Self-Efficacy on Quality of Life in Patients with Thalassemia Major: A Clinical Trial

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of individual psychotherapy with a focus on self-efficacy on quality of life in patients with thalassemia major. Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study in 2016, among patients with thalassemia major referring to Cooley's anemia ward of Shahid Rajaie Hospital in Gachsaran, Iran, 50 eligible patients were selected by convenience sampling method. They were assigned in intervention (n=25) and control (n=25) groups by quadratic block randomization. Each of 50 subjects signed the informed written consent. Demographic questionnaire and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used as the research tool. The data were analyzed by SPSS 21 software, using Chi-square test, independent T-test, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Findings: One month after the intervention, the scores of the Physical Component Summary (2461.8±15.7) and the Mental Component Summary (1873.0± 21.6) in the intervention group were significantly higher than the same scores (2283.2±279.8) and (1712.6±270.5) in the control group (p<0.05). At this time, the score of all Health Domain Scales of SF-36 Health Survey in the intervention group were higher than the same scores in the control group. These differences were significant except for the Role-Physical and Bodily Pain (p<0.05).  Conclusion: Individual psychotherapy with a focus on self-efficacy is effective on increasing quality of life of patients with thalassemia major.