The Association between Behavioral Problems with Self-Esteem and Self-Concept in Pediatric Patients with Thalassemia

• Main Authors: Seyed Mohamad Kazem Nourbakhsh, Minoo Atamanesh, Mohammad Effatpanah, Mona Salehi, Morteza Heidari
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2021-01-01
• Series: Iranian Journal of Psychiatry
• Subjects: Self-Esteem; Self-Concept; Thalassemia
• Online Access: https://ijps.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijps/article/view/2003
• ISSN: 1735-4587; 2008-2215

Objective: High prevalence of behavioral and psychological disorders in children with thalassemia can be associated with a decrease in the self-esteem of patients and can completely alter the person's self-concept. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of behavioral problems and its relationship with self-esteem and self-concept in patients with thalassemia major aged 6 to 18 years. Method: In a cross-sectional study, 30 patients with thalassemia major at the age of 6 to 18 years were enrolled. behavioral problems, self-esteem, and self-concept were evaluated by the child's behavioral check list at the ages of 6 to 18 years (CBCL 6-18), the Coopersmith's Self-Esteem Inventory, and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Results: A total of 10.0% of patients had behavioral disorders, 3 (10.0%) desirable self-esteem, 15 (50.0%) moderate self-esteem, and 12 (40.0%) poor self-esteem. There was a strong but adverse correlation between behavioral disorder score and both self-esteem score (correlation coefficient equal to -0.886, p value = 0.001) and self-concept score (correlation coefficient equal to -0.498, p value = 0.001), and thus those patients with behavioral disorder had less appropriate self-esteem and self-concept. Conclusion: The incidence of behavioral disorders is associated with decreased self-esteem and poor self-concept in these patients. Therefore, improvement in behavioral disorders can be expected by improving self-esteem and self-concept in such patients.