Social disability and psychiatric morbidity in sickle cell anemia and diabetes patients

Thirty diabetes mellitus patients and 30 sickle cell anemia patients were studied to ascertain whether impaired social functioning, psychiatric morbidity, and physical complications of the diseases were related. Responses on the Social Functioning Schedule revealed a majority of both groups to be socially disabled. The General Health Questionnaire showed at least half of both groups to have psychiatric morbidity. Unexpectedly, no significant relationship existed between the psychosocial impairment and the presence or absence of physical complications of the two medical disorders.