The State of Mind of Patients with Chronic Renal Failure at the Time of Hemodialysis: Influence of Weekly Hemodialysis / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Prior to the anticipated initiation of hemodialysis, the state of mind of patients with chronic renal failure is emotionally unstable. They are weighed down with anxiety. Recently, we started the once-a-week initiation method of hemodialysis in order to lighten the psychological burden in our renal unit. This study was disigned to examine the state of mind of patients receiving hemodialysis as well as the effect of the once-aweek initiation of hemodialysis on the state of mind. The psychological burden wasfound in 83.3% of patients. Particularly, the restriction of food and water intake (39.1%), the restriction of actions by repeated hemodialysis (20.9%), and the fear of complications and the anxiety about the future (15.5%) accounted for 75.5% of all psychological burdens. The initiation of hemodialysis once a week reduced various psychological burdens, the restriction of food and water intake (30.7%), the restriction of actions by repeated hemodialysis (23.1%), physical complications and the lowering ofphysical faculty (23.1%), the changes in the domestic position and role (15.4%) and the economical and social restriction (7.7%), in 72.2% of patients. These results indicate the necessity of the psychological counseling for the prognosis before the start of hemodialysis and the consideration for the choice of the initiation method of hemodialysis.