Problems in interaction between patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis and their partners.

186 patients undergoing hemodialysis and their partners were examined with a personality inventory (Giessen test) and a questionnaire which was specially developed for this purpose. The instrument was used to measure the social interaction between patient and partner. The Giessen test was applied in four versions: self-description, description by the partner, referring to the present, referring to the past. One of the main interests of the analyses was in finding dependencies of the variables upon the types of hemodialysis setting (unit, private unit, and at home). Various correlations were found.