Labropoulou S, Beratis S
Department of Psychiatry, University of Patras School of Medicine, General University Hospital, Greece.
J Psychosom Res. 1995 Oct;39(7):911-9. doi: 10.1016/0022-3999(95)00061-4.
beta-Thalassaemia is a chronic disease causing serious symptoms to the patients and considerable burden to their families. The psychopathology and psychosocial adjustment of 71 siblings of thalassaemic patients and 71 matched control subjects were investigated. Siblings of thalassaemic patients were found to have significantly more psychiatric disorders than the control subjects (p < 0.05). The frequency of psychopathology among the patients' siblings, when compared to the controls, was significantly greater after the age of 10 years (p < 0.01), with no difference between the two groups before the age of 10. Siblings of thalassaemic patients also scored significantly lower on sports and nonsports activities and on social functioning in terms of number of friends and number of contacts with them. These findings show that siblings of thalassaemic patients are at risk for psychiatric symptomatology and for impaired psychosocial functioning.
β地中海贫血是一种慢性疾病，会给患者带来严重症状，并给其家庭造成相当大的负担。对71名地中海贫血患者的兄弟姐妹和71名匹配的对照对象的精神病理学和心理社会适应情况进行了调查。发现地中海贫血患者的兄弟姐妹患精神疾病的比例明显高于对照对象（p < 0.05）。与对照组相比，患者兄弟姐妹中精神病理学的发生率在10岁以后显著更高（p < 0.01），而在10岁之前两组之间没有差异。地中海贫血患者的兄弟姐妹在体育和非体育活动以及社交功能方面，在朋友数量和与朋友的接触次数方面得分也显著更低。这些发现表明，地中海贫血患者的兄弟姐妹有出现精神症状和心理社会功能受损的风险。
