Depression in Hemodialysis Patients

Aghakhani, N and Fattahi, Y (2019) Depression in Hemodialysis Patients. Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl, 30 (1). pp. 261-262.

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Abstract

Depression is one of the most and highly common complications of hemodialysis (HD) patients that is associated with many various adverse outcomes, including lower performance status, increased fatigue, decreased physical activity, and decreased quality of life.1 Its prevalence among HD patients may exceed those of many other patients with severe chronic condition.2 In recent decades, treatment methods such as HD have lengthened the life of many patients with end-stage renal disease, and now widely accepted that quality of life promotion is an important outcome of these options.3 Although dialysis as a treatment modality has been effective at sustaining life in many patients, it has failed to restore their healthy condition. Hospitalization is often frequent and prolonged for them, and many studies have suggested that patients on HD experience unacceptable degrees of functional capacity, health-related quality of life, and morbidity with their disease.4 On the other hand, shortage of nephrologists, inadequate health education about preventive measures, late referral of the patients, a lack of more cost-effective alternative treatment options such as or peritoneal dialysis or renal transplantation are significant issues which contribute to patients psychological well being. Inadequate insurance coverage further aggravates the problems for the patients and their family and increases psychologic consequences like depression.5 Depression is as incapacitating as the kidney disease itself and should be given more consideration. Depression that is not treated may lead to poor prognosis of kidney disease and should be manage to prevent its complications and costs.6 It is obvious that health providing setting are seeking a way to decrease readmissions, improve medication reconciliation and patients’ safety in their homes. Patients and their families education for self-care is a useful trend.7 Thus, a major challenge for health care providers is to develop methods to better management depression. Recently, consideration has begun to be focused on kinds of treatment strategies.8 Even though there is a little evidence for health benefits from treatment of depression, treatment should be offered to HD patients. Unfortunately, depression has stigma, and many patients are

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