Factors associated to depression in renal transplant recipients in Panama

High rates of affective disorders have been reported in kidney transplant recipients treated for end-stage renal disease. Latin America has experienced a significant increase in transplant activity in recent decades, but there is a dearth of data regarding psychosocial issues following kidney transplantation. The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of depression and the demographic factors associated to depression among renal transplant recipients in Panama.

This cross-sectional study was conducted between March to May 2010 in a hospital setting during routine outpatient evaluations. The study included 119 renal transplant recipients (58 males, 61 females). Depressive symptoms were measured using the self-report Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and diagnoses were established by a trained psychiatrist using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Regression models were used to explore the association between depression and sociodemographic variables.

The prevalence of depression was 11.8% among transplant recipients. Linear regression indicated that the presence of an anxiety disorder, increasing age, and lower education levels were significantly and independently associated with depressive symptoms. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that anxiety and a perception of negative social support significantly increased the likelihood of depression.

These findings have important clinical implications. Depression after kidney transplantation has been shown to affect health outcomes adversely. Our results underscore the need to assess depressive symptoms as well as other affective disorders as part of the screening and treatment of renal transplant patients in Panama.