RESUMO
Patients with ESRD who receive dialysis must confront the burdens of long-term illness and numerous treatment-associated stressors. One of the most important factors in decreasing psychiatric disorders in these patients is using copping methods with physiological and psychosocial stressors. The purpose of the study was to determine the stressors and how the degree of subjective stress depends on sex and age; and to evaluate copping methods in chronic haemodialysis patients. This was a descriptive survey study performed in the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences during the year 1383. 120 patients [49 females and 71 male], regularly treated with hemodialyses were chosen through sensor sampling. Patients filled in the Hemodialysis Stressors Scale [HSS] to determine the prevalence and severity of physicopsychosocial stressors [CES - D]. This scale contained 29 items and was scored at the basis of four - point ctiteria of Likert's scale [0- 4]. Data was Analyzed using SPSS software and qualitive statistics using Student T-test, chi[2] and kruskal- wallis statistical tests. Values of p less than 0.05 were considered significant. The mean age of patients was 31.9 +/- 3.12 years [between 15 to 64 years].59.4% of patients had duration of dialysis less than 3 years. Results revealed that the average score of physiological stressors was 12.09 +/- 4.89 and the average score of psychosocial stressors was 38.51 +/- 14.45. Fluid restriction was ranked as the most prevalent psychosocial stressor followed by decrease in social life, and the top physiological stressors were muscle cramps and fatigue. There was a consistent trend for almost all stressors to become more intense over time, with some specific stressors increasing significantly. A positive relationship was demonstrated between emotionoriented copping and psychosocial and physiological stressors, though 67.8% of patients have been using problem - oriented methods. Psychosocial stressors are more common than physiological ones in hemodialytic patients. In attention to copping methods and their benefits for decreasing stress and depression levels, guidance of patients and their families is necessary. Nurses need to be educated about the factors that are stressful to patients, so they can support them appropriately