How young people cope with chronic kidney disease: literature review

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a complex, long-term condition occurring in all age groups. It has been reported that the incidence of renal replacement therapy in young people is 7-8 per million population. Notwithstanding those individuals who may receive a donor kidney, many individuals may be disenfranchised by perceptions of helplessness and feelings of powerlessness against a backdrop of diminished health outlook, consequently impacting on capacity for effective coping.

The aim of this review is to explore how young people cope with CKD.

Three hundred and thirty-seven abstracts were identified. Sixty-three papers were cross-examined using a Critical Appraisal Skills Checklist Tool.

Young people face various demands; these may be episodic or ongoing, depending on health and circumstance. The themes this review uncovers are: 'Lack of a Coping Definition'; 'Coping Strategies in Young People'; and 'Barriers to the Understanding of Coping in Young People'.

More qualitative research is vital to retrieve 'real-life' perceptions from young people coping with kidney disease to identify how care should be made more explicit for them.