Characteristics of patients with depressive disorder on entry into home hemodialysis.

During a prospective study of 58 patients entering home hemodialysis training, systematic interviews revealed that thirteen (22 per cent) of the patients were suffering depressive disorder. Depressed patients were more likely than nondepressed patients to have experienced a decline in job performance during the previous year, applied for disability income, and reduced leisure activities after the beginning of training. Further, the only two patients complaining of "quite a lot" of anxiety during dialyses were both found to be suffering depressive disorder. Polycystic kidney disease and depressive disorder were significantly positively associated in this patient sample. Possible implications of that association are discussed.