COMPARISON OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS IN RENAL DISEASE PATIENTS UNDERGOING HEMODIALYSIS AND KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS IN CYPRUS

Konstantinos Argyropoulos, Panagiota Faidonos, Antri Aresti and Eleni Jelastopulu*

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to estimate differences referring in the presence of anxiety and depression in two groups of renal disease patients and to investigate associations with sociodemographic variables. Method: A sample of 230 patients were recruited, consisting of 130 patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and 100 patients with successful kidney transplantation (KT). The instrument used to assess the anxiety and depression levels was the in Greek translated and validated Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: Patients with HD scored overall higher on the HADS compared to patients with KT (13.52 vs 10.30). No statistically significant differences were found in the mean value of anxiety (t=1.16, p=0.249) between both groups. Regarding depression and the overall score, we observed statistically significant differences in the mean values for depression (t=3.86, p <0.001) and for the overall HADS score (t=3.12, p=0.002) between the patients undergoing hemodialysis compared to patients with KT. In KT recipients older ages, lower educational level, being divorced or widowed and being retired scored significantly higher, whereas in HT patients only educational level and marital status play a significant role. Conclusions: In the present study, the overall HADS score as well as the single component scores of anxiety and depression were higher in patients with HD, indicating thus the higher psychological discomfort in these patients.

Keywords: Hemodialysis, kidney transplantation, anxiety, depression.