HAEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS: DEPRESSION, PERCEPTION OF SERIOUSNESS OF ILLNESS, ADHERENCE TO TREATMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association between depression, perception of seriousness of illness, adherence to treatment and quality of life among haemodialysis patients.

Study Design: It was a Mix Method study. Self-report questionnaires included personal profile; beck depression inventory, illness perception and adherence scale, and quality of life index-dialysis (III) were used.

Place and Duration of study: Study was carried out at Pakistan Kidney Patients Association (PKPA) Rawalpindi,Pakistan. Duration of study was from Nov 2017 to May 2018.

Patients and Methods: Data was collected via one to one interview from 200 haemodialysis patients through consecutive and purposive sampling technique.

Results: IBM SPSS version 22.0 was used for data analysis. Depression had shown negative correlation with quality of life (r=-0.72**) and adherence to treatment (r=-0.42**). Moreover, duration of dialysis had also shown negative correlation with adherence to treatment (r=-0.13**). Positive relationship of quality of life with adherence to treatment (r=0.74**), perception of seriousness of illness (r=0.56*) and duration of dialysis was found (r=0.34*). Positive significant correlation had been found between perception of seriousness of illness and adherence to treatment (r=0.72*) and duration of dialysis (r=0.25*).

Conclusion: An adverse effect of haemodialysis triggers the perception of seriousness of illness of patient which needs to be treated before getting worst in form of depression. To avoid challenging mental health condition, proper psychological and pharmacological interventions must be designed.