Psychosomatic aspects of patients on hemodialysis. 1. With special reference to aged patients

Psychosomatic aspects of aged dialysis patients, who had been on long-term dialysis and started on dialysis at over 65 years old, were examined using various psychological tests such as MMPI Alexithymia Scale and Beth Israel Questionnaire. Alexithymic trait was observed most frequently in aged long-term dialysis patients. This trait has a correlation with physical complications, patients having bone or joint disturbance. From these results, two different alexithymic patterns are inferred: (1) Because of poor awareness concerning control of their own body, physical complications develop in patients with a predisposition for alexithymia, and (2) physical complications inevitably occur during long-term dialysis and patients exhibit secondary alexithymia.