Loneliness Level and Its Associated Factors in Patients With Hemodialysis.

The purpose of this study was to examine the level of loneliness and its relationship with socioeconomic and health conditions, social support, family functionality, and depressive symptoms in patients undergoing hemodialysis. This cross-sectional study involved analysis of a secondary data, collected in 2019 among 80 patients with CKD on hemodialysis. Participants completed the following instruments: socio-demographic, economic, and health condition characterization, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Family APGAR. On average, the sample was mostly female (55%), white (65%), and the mean age was 59.63 years. In the perception of loneliness, the highest index was (55%), moderately high. Social support scored the worst in the Positive Social Interaction domain. The prevalance of severe depression was approximately 29%. Family functioning was positive, with a good score (69%). There was a weak negative correlation between loneliness and all domains of Social Support, besides Family Functioning.

Clinical and sociodemographic variables associated with interictal dysphoric disorder and interictal personality in patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy: A controlled study.

Psychiatric disorders (PD) have an elevated prevalence and an important negative impact on patients with epilepsy (PWE) since they are associated with lower quality of life and clinical refractoriness. However, it is also necessary to identify behavioral conditions possibly associated with epilepsy that are not part of the standard psychiatric classifications, such as Interictal Dysphoric Disorder (IDD) and Interictal Personality (IP). The frequency of IDD and IP in patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy and mesial temporal sclerosis (TLE-MTS) was assessed. The Brazilian versions of the Neurobehavioral Inventory (NBI) and Interictal Dysphoric Disorder Inventory (IDDI) were applied to patients and to a control group. Psychiatric standard assessment was conducted through the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychiatric Disorders - 5th edition (DSM-5). The value of p considered significant was <0.05. Ninety-five patients (51 women; 53.6%) and 50 controls (29 women; 58.0%) were assessed. Axis I PD were observed in 41 patients (43.1%). Interictal Dysphoric Disorder was observed in 18 patients (18.4%) and IP in 36 (37.9%). Interictal Dysphoric Disorder was associated with left-sided MTS (OR=3.22; p=0.008), previous psychiatric treatment (OR=4.29; p=0.007), and more than one AED used (OR=2.73; p=0.02) while presence of bilateral MTS (OR=3.27; p=0.008), longer disease duration (OR=3.39; p=0.006), and presence of Major Depressive Disorder (OR=4.73; p=0.004) were associated with IP. In the present study, there was a high prevalence of IDD and IP in patients with drug-resistant TLE-MTS; studies should be conducted to identify the presence of behavioral conditions that are not present in the conventional psychiatric classifications.