Self-Reported Functional Status

Functional status is an understudied, yet important, modifiable risk factor in a number of chronic illnesses. This topic has not yet been studied extensively for chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study investigates the relationship of functional status to mental health and health perceptions among patients undergoing hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. A sample of 144 patients was recruited, consisting of 84 patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and 60 patients in peritoneal dialysis (PD). Measurements were conducted with the following instruments: the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument (WHOQOL-BREF), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI 1/STAI 2), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC). Functional status was associated negatively with all subscales of the GHQ-28 (somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, severe depression) and the GHQ-28 total score. It was also related negatively to depression, as measured by CES-D scale, as well as to state and trait anxiety, and positively to internal health locus of control. The present study demonstrates the importance of functional status in understanding the health perceptions of patients with CKD and the contribution of functional status to mental health.