PSYCHOSOCIAL-ASPECTS OF SICKLE-CELL DISEASE (SCD) IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE - A REVIEW

This paper reviews the literature on the psychological and social aspe cts of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and discusses the clinical implicatio ns of its impact on children and their families. Sickle Cell Disease i s a family of blood diseases including sickle cell anaemia (SS), SC di sease (SC), and sickle B thalassaemia (SBThal). Research on the psycho logical and social aspects of SCD, particularly in the UK, has been li mited and of varying methodological quality. The psychosocial adaptati on of children and adolescents with SCD and their families has been as sociated with the personality and developmental stage of the child, fa mily attitudes and behaviour, socioeconomic status, and social and env ironmental support. Concerns about the quality of interpersonal relati onships within families have also led to investigations of family char acteristics and social networks, and some research studies have pointe d to different ways of coping associated with specific network and fam ily structures.