Prevalence, psychosocial, and medical correlates of anxiety and depression in patients with chronic kidney disease

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) leads to one of the highest death rates among noncommunicable diseases and often leads to psychiatric comorbidities such as depression and anxiety, resulting in impaired quality of life. Aim: To determine prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression in CKD patients and assess their impact on health-related quality of life (QoL). Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 96 CKD patients attending the nephrology clinic in tertiary care hospital. Each patient’s sociodemographic and clinical details (including CKD stage and serum creatinine) were recorded. They were evaluated using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) for QoL. Descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rho for correlations, Jonckheere–Terpstra (J-T) test for trend across ordered groups, and binary logistic regression were used. Results: 84.4% of participants had mild anxiety, while 50% had mild to moderate depression. All domains of SF-36 QoL survey were negatively correlated with HAM-A and HAM-D scores. The J-T test showed a statistically significant decreasing trend in median SF-36 domain scores with increasing severity of anxiety and depression ( P ≤ 0.05 for all domains). In regression analysis, advanced CKD stage and poor QoL were associated with higher odds of anxiety and depression, whereas better QoL had a protective effect. Conclusions: CKD patients frequently experience mild anxiety and mild to moderate depression, which are associated with significantly lower QoL. Regular psychiatric evaluation and management in CKD are crucial to improve patient outcomes and overall quality of life.