Sickle cell and thalassemia (haemoglobinopathies) are autosomal recessive inherited conditions that affect haemoglobin and as chronic diseases, stress, anxiety and depression are comorbid conditions.

To examine possible biopsychosocial factors affecting stress, anxiety and depression symptoms in these patients.

To investigate whether different condition related markers, contribute to the psychological symptomatology.

A total of 97 patients participated in the study, 21 males (21.6%) and 76 females (78.4%), with a mean age of 44.35. Convenience sampling method was used and participants were recruited from the General Hospital of Nikaia, ‘Ag. Panteleimon’, in Athens, Greece. DASS and MFI scales were used to measure the dependent and independent variables. Data were analysed with the SPSS 21 software.

Multivariate analysis revealed that days between transfusions (beta = −0.454), reduced activity (beta = 0.350) and age (beta = −0.207) explained 30.1% of the variance in Stress [F(3.91) = 13.04 R2 = 0.301 P = 0.03]. Reduced activity (beta = 0.417) and days between transfusions (beta = 0.318) explained 30,3% of the variance in Anxiety [F(2.92) = 19.96 R2 = 0.301 P = 0.03]. Finally reduced activity (beta = 0.334), days between transfusions (beta = 0.364), and reduced motivation explained 41.3% of the variance in Depression [F(3.91) = 21.34 R2 = 0.413 P = 0.03]. Levels of ferritin, haemoglobin, age and present condition of health had a NS effect in the models.

Similar factors were found to affect stress, anxiety and depression in the sample, with days between transfusions and reduced activity being the major factors affecting the psychological symptoms in haemoglobinopathy patients. More research is needed in order for all the biopsychosocial factors to be revealed in this field.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.