Abstract

DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS ON MAINTENANCE HEMODIALYSIS

Savitha R Sanathana, Vineetha Bharathan Menon, Phanisree Alla, Smitha Madhuri, Manjunath S Shetty, Dushad Ram

ABSTRACT

Objective: The study was conducted to evaluate the pattern of depressive symptoms in patients on maintenance hemodialysis and to identify the number of patients treated for these symptoms. The patients’ clinical condition, pharmacotherapy, and various demographic and socioeconomic variables and their possible association with depressive symptoms were also studied. Methods: We studied 126 patients with end stage renal failure, undergoing hemodialysis treatment at the outpatient dialysis unit of two tertiary care hospitals in Southern India over a period of 6 months. For the evaluation of depressive symptoms, Beck Depression Inventory was used. The pharmacotherapy, clinical condition, demographic and socioeconomic variables were also investigated. Results: Using Beck Depression Inventory, depressive symptoms were identified in 65.07% patients. Significant associations were observed between depressive symptoms and variables like female gender, being single, advanced age, lower socioeconomic status, nuclear family status, increased financial reliability, lower body mass index, dialysis duration less than 1 year and increased cost of treatment. Clinical conditions like diabetes, fatigue, limb pain, poor appetite and sleep quality, lower albumin levels and use of medications like Prazosin was also found to be associated with depressive symptoms. Out of 65% of the patients with depressive symptoms, none received anti-depressant medications. Conclusions: We observed high incidence of depressive symptoms among the chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment, however they were not appropriately treated. These symptoms were found to be related with various clinical, therapeutic and socio demographic variables.

Keywords: Beck Depression Inventory; Chronic Kidney Disease; Depressive symptoms; End Stage Renal Disease; Hemodialysis; Maintenance Hemodialysis