Determining the anxiety and depression levels of pre-dialysis patients in eastern Turkey.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to characterize the onset of psychopathological manifestations before dialysis in patients with chronic renal disease, thus contributing to the nursing care of these patients.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 120 patients registered at the Atatürk University Medical School who fulfilled the eligibility criteria and provided informed consent were included in this study.

RESULTS

The majority of the participants, 63.4% were female, 50.0% were 39 years of age or older, 70.0% were married, 80.0% had no current occupation, 56.7% were high school graduates, and 48.3% did not know the cause of their disease. As indicated, 35.0% of the subjects had a depression score over the threshold level, with an average score of 8.53 ± 2.45, while patients with scores over the threshold for anxiety made up 53.4%, with an average score of 11.45 ± 3.56.

CONCLUSION

This study shows the presence of psychopathological problems before patients are started on dialysis. Therefore, nurses may alleviate pre-dialysis patients' fears and provide the necessary support to cope with anxiety and depression, thereby raising the patients' quality of life.