Survey results among patients with severe hemophilia suggest that well-being is possible regardless of having a chronic disease, according to the results of an analysis published in Psychology, Health & Medicine.
For this study, researchers evaluated survey data from patients with severe hemophilia to determine whether these patients are more likely to have a negative affect, worse perceived physical health, and worse well-being status compared with a control group; the researchers also assessed whether these patients were likely to be considered flourishing in a predefined sense. To measure these variables, the researchers asked patients to complete the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF), the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36, version 1), and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS).
A total of 84 patients with hemophilia and 164 control individuals were included; the mean ages were 43.44 years and 40.98 years, respectively. The majority of patients (92.9%) had hemophilia A, 60.7% of patients were receiving prophylactic treatment, 39.3% of patients were receiving on-demand treatment, and 25% of patients had HIV.
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Patients with hemophilia were found to have worse general health and lower negative affect compared with individuals in the control arm; however, patients with hemophilia also showed a tendency towards higher levels of psychological well-being. More participants in the hemophilia group were considered to be flourishing compared with participants in the control arm.
“These findings provide support to the vast literature showing that people with chronic disease are not only able to adaptively cope with daily challenges but also to thrive and grow through adversity,” the researchers concluded.
Reference
1. Negri L, Buzzi A, Aru AB, et al. Perceived well-being and mental health in haemophilia [published online January 26, 2020]. Psychol Health Med. doi:10.1080/13548506.2020.1717556
