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It is estimated that about 350 million people in the world suffer from depression, of which as many as 1.5 million in Poland. Depression is the most common mental disorder in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis. It is worth paying attention to the characteristic symptoms that may indicate depression in the patient and not delay the visit to a specialist who will plan the appropriate treatment.
According to research published in Scientific Research in 2012, a higher incidence of depression was observed in hemodialysis patients than in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), without dialysis. In turn, according to CBOS data from 2022, as much as 11 percent. of the interviewed Poles declared that they had struggled with depression once in their life.
The necessity to change the current lifestyle due to CKD and requiring time-consuming dialysis procedures can significantly hinder the daily functioning of the patient (the patient spends an average of 15 hours a week on them). A person learning about kidney disease may receive such news with great concern. We may not always notice symptoms of depression in others immediately. That is why it is so important to know what to pay attention to and what to do to support your loved one at the right moment.
Symptoms that may indicate a depressive state and lead to depression in the patient include :
- sadness,
- anxiety,
- limitation of life activities,
- frequent fatigue,
- pessimism,
- suicidal thoughts,
- lack of appetite,
- libido decrease.
Depression is a serious mental disorder that, first of all, should be treated by a specialist. However, parallel to the treatment, you can support a loved one: it is worth trying to talk to them more often and openly, be interested in their well-being, spend more time together, cook and eat common meals, go for walks. However, everything with respect to the will of a loved one.
- Patients suffering from chronic kidney disease can ask their caregivers at DaVita how to cope with eg low mood, apathy, sudden lifestyle changes. Often times, chronic kidney disease means to the patientresignation from previously practiced, favorite activity or the need to follow a diet. We should be interested in the lives of our patients for whom the dialysis center is one of the most visited places. This will not cure the patient from such a serious disease as depression, which requires treatment by a specialist, but it can be a significant support for him.
Psychological care should also be part of the treatment of dialysis patients. The nephrological community has been striving for this for years, for example by submitting coordinated care projects to the ministry of he alth that include the kind of much needed treatment. Practice only confirms what studies have shown since 2012 - patients with CKD more and more often develop depressive states of varying intensity, which adversely affects the entire treatment process - says Szymon Brzósko, DaVita medical director.
Research published in Scientific Research in 2012 indicates that patients in retirement age or those with cerebrovascular disease are more likely to develop depression. Depression was also found to be related to marital status, income, diseases of the central nervous system and functional capacity. Among patients undergoing hemodialysis, the occurrence of depression was associated with the level of income, the presence of cardiovascular diseases and the functional capacity of the body.
Chronic kidney disease is currently one of the most common diseases of civilization. Almost 700 million people suffer from it all over the world. The disease is progressive - it leads to worsening of kidney function. When the kidneys stop working, the patient requires renal replacement therapy: kidney transplantation or dialysis. Dialysis is a life-saving procedure. There are over 20,000 dialysis patients in Poland. people.