[Thanatophobia in the patients on dialysis]

Thanatophobia is an exaggerated, specific, structured fear of death. It appears in childhood and continues to grow over the years, and in the old age it is accompanied with nosophobia and other mental disorders. The aim of this study was to analyze thanatophobia in dialysed patients which was in the direct connection with a basic disorder, and the influence of this disorder on functioning and the quality of life of the patients on dialysis.

In the study we examined 753 patients from the chronic program of haemodialysis in a period from 1999 to 2004. The patiens were classified in two groups: 348 randomized patients with Balkan Endemic Nephropathy (BEN), and the control group (N18) of patients with terminal renal insufficiency, and other diagnoses (n = 405). Since the study was a comparative, cross-sectional one, the patients were tested by the appropriate questionnaires for anxiety, depression and general mental functioning. Statistical analysis was done by the standard descriptive and analytic statistic methods.

Based on socio-demographics data we revealed a highly significant difference regarding the place of living between the groups BEN and N18 (chi2 = 23.970; p < 0.01), the frequency of occurrence of renal comorbidity (chi2 = 23.970; p < 0.01), the frequency of familly renal comorbidity in siblings (chi2 = 23.970; p < 0.01), and the frequency of migrationes (chi2 = 4.874; p < 0.01). According to psychiatry scales, the patiens from the BEN group were significantly more anxious and depressive than those from the control group.

The signs of thanatophobia were revealed in both examined groups, but significantly more in the patients with BEN than in those with other nephrologic diseases. Thanatophobia starts before dialysis, and dialysis structures it into fear of death which is in a direct connection with the basic disorder. This intensive fear may be connected with dementia and depression, but also with other mental disorders.