Determining the anxiety and depression levels of pre-dialysis patients in eastern Turkey

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to characterize the onset of psychopathological manifestations before dialysis in patients with chronic renal disease, thus contributing to the nursing care of these patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 120 patients registered at the Atatürk University Medical School who fulfilled the eligibility criteria and provided informed consent were included in this study. RESULTS: The majority of the participants, 63.4% were female, 50.0% were 39 years of age or older, 70.0% were married, 80.0% had no current occupation, 56.7% were high school graduates, and 48.3% did not know the cause of their disease. As indicated, 35.0% of the subjects had a depression score over the threshold level, with an average score of 8.53 ± 2.45, while patients with scores over the threshold for anxiety made up 53.4%, with an average score of 11.45 ± 3.56. CONCLUSION: This study shows the presence of psychopathological problems before patients are started on dialysis. Therefore, nurses may alleviate pre-dialysis patients' fears and provide the necessary support to cope with anxiety and depression, thereby raising the patients' quality of life.