Anxiety and Depression Levels, Self-Esteem and Quality of Life in Individuals with Albinism: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Albinism is an inherited condition that may cause mental challenges in individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychiatric distress that individuals with albinism experienced, the level of emotional impact caused by albinism on the quality of life and self-esteem. Twenty individuals with albinism, 20 individuals with vitiligo, 20 healthy controls included to the study. Participants were administered Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Coopersmith’s Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI), World Health Organization Questionnaire on Quality of Life: Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF). BDI, BAI scores of individuals with albinism were significantly higher. The physical health, psychological, social relationship domain scores of the individuals with albinism were significantly lower than in healthy controls. Individuals with albinism had lower scores on Environment domain scores were lower than both those with vitiligo and healthy controls. The physical health, psychological, social relationship domain scores were negatively correlated with BDI; the physical health and environment domain scores were negatively correlated with BAI scores in albinism group. The CSEI scores of individuals with albinism were significantly lower than in healthy controls. According to our findings, the higher levels of depression and anxiety, lower levels of self-esteem, and quality of life indicate psychosocial distress among the individuals with albinism. Determination of the psychosocial distress experienced by individuals with albinism will contribute in better understanding of the experience of individuals with albinism and public awareness on albinism.

Keywords

• albinism
• anxiety
• depression
• quality of life

Albinizmli Bireylerde Depresyon, Anksiyete Düzeyleri, Özsaygı ve Yaşam Kalitesi: Bir Olgu-Kontrol Çalışması

Öz

Albinizm bireylerde ruhsal zorluğa neden olabilen kalıtsal bir bozukluktur. Bu çalışmanın amacı albinizmli bireylerin yaşadığı psikiyatrik zorlanmayı araştırmak, albinizmin öz-saygı düzeyleri ve yaşam kalitesi üzerindeki etkisini belirlemektir. Çalışmaya 20 albinizmli birey, kontrol grubu olarak 20 vitiligolu birey ve 20 sağlıklı gönüllü dahil edildi. Katılımcılara Beck Depresyon Ölçeği (BDÖ), Beck Anksiyete Ölçeği (BAÖ), Coopersmith Özsaygı Envanteri (CÖE), Dünya Sağlık Örgütü Yaşam Kalitesi Ölçeği-Kısa Formu Türkçe Versiyonu (WHOQOL-BREF-TR) uygulandı. Albinizmli bireylerin BDÖ, BAÖ puanları sağlıklı kontrollere göre anlamlı derecede yüksekti. Fiziksel sağlık, psikolojik, sosyal ilişki alan puanları albinizmli bireylerde sağlıklı kontrollere göre anlamlı derecede düşüktü. Çevre alanı puanları hem vitiligolu bireylerden hem de sağlıklı kontrollerden daha düşüktü. Albinizm grubunda fiziksel sağlık, psikolojik, sosyal ilişki alan puanları BDÖ ile; fiziksel sağlık ve çevre alan puanları BAÖ ile negatif yönde anlamlı düzeyde ilişkiliydi. Albinizmli bireylerin CÖE puanları sağlıklı kontrollere göre anlamlı düzeyde düşüktü. Bulgularımıza göre, albinizmli bireylerde, yüksek depresyon ve anksiyete düzeyleri, öz saygıda ve yaşam kalitesinde azalma psikososyal zorlanmayı göstermektedir. Albinizmli bireylerin yaşadığı psikososyal zorlanmanın belirlenmesi, albinizmli bireylerin yaşadığı deneyimin daha iyi anlaşılmasına ve albinizmle ilgili toplumsal farkındalığa katkı sağlayacaktır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Albinizm
• depresyon
• anksiyete
• özsaygı

Kaynakça

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