Changing the care along with improved treatment, have altered the life of thalassemia patients, one of the world's most common genetic diseases (Thalassemia International Federation; http://www.thalassemia.org.cy). The new demography of the disease, with its widely variable phenotypes, has implications for its diagnosis, counseling, and management. Improved of the new treatment of this ancient disease is essential for optimizing survival. From June 2010 to January 2011, we interviewed 36 people with thalassemia from a primary care in Messina (Center of Genetics and Immunology). The aim of this study is to show the results of a survey conducted in this Center in Messina. This study shows the importance of influence of a multidisciplinary approach, medical, psychological and social, that addresses the changing treatment and epidemiology of thalassemia in order to ensure a better quality of life and survival. Understanding the influence of all three types of resources, medical, psychological and social, is critical for constructing ways to enhance health capability, chronic disease self-management, and health.

The family’s role in patient care was greatly altered by Law 180. This law, introduced in Italy in 1978, led to a gradual phasing out of custodial treatment for psychiatric patients. This different mindset, which views the family as an alternative to institutionalization, leads to it being seen as an essential entity in the setting up of community service dynamics. We interviewed health professionals in order to understand obstacles of collaboration between family members and mental health care workers. The goal was to uncover actions that promote collaboration and help build alliances between families and psychiatric workers. Results showed that health professionals view the family as a therapeutic resource. Despite this view, family members were rarely included in patient treatment. The reasons is: the structures have a theoretical orientation of collaboration with the family but, for nurses not are organized a few meeting spaces with family members. Services should create moments, such as multi-family groups or groups of information, managed by nurses and not only by doctors. These occasions it might facilitate the knowledge between professionals and family members.

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