Influence of Anxiety Level and Degree of Alexithymia on Quality of Life in Adult Patients With Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia

Abstract

Background: Primary immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterised by Thrombocytopenia, which can cause physical symptoms such as bleeding and impose a heavy burden on patients' mental health and quality of life (QOL). This study aims to investigate the impact of anxiety level and degree of alexithymia on the QOL of adult patients with ITP.

Methods: This investigative study included 148 patients with ITP attending our haematology department from June 2021 to June 2023. The following scales were used: the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) to assess the patients' anxiety level, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) to assess the degree of alexithymia and the ITP-Patient Assessment Questionnaire (ITP-PAQ) to assess QOL. Pearson correlation and multifactor linear regression analyses were used to explore the relationship among anxiety level, degree of dysphoria and QOL.

Results: The mean HAMA score of 148 patients with ITP was 14.31 ± 3.61, of which 146 had varying degrees of anxiety. The mean TAS-20 score was 56.11 ± 8.41, and 106 cases had varying degrees of alexithymia. Pearson correlation analysis showed that HAMA scores (r = –0.316, p < 0.001) and TAS-20 scores (r = –0.254, p = 0.002) were significantly negatively correlated with ITP-PAQ scores. The results of multifactorial linear regression analysis showed that anxiety level (p < 0.001), alexithymia (p = 0.015), diabetes mellitus comorbidities (p = 0.046), stage of disease (p = 0.027) and platelet (PLT) level (p = 0.032) were independent risk factors for the QOL of patients with ITP.

Conclusion: Anxiety level and alexithymia degree significantly affect the QOL of patients with ITP and are independent risk factors for QOL. Clinical work should pay attention to the psychological state of patients with ITP and the timely identification and intervention for anxiety and alexithymia to improve QOL.