DIFFERENCES IN ILLNESS REPRESENTATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Medical Psychology

Background:

• Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects millions globally.
• Understanding patient perceptions of illness is crucial for effective management.
• Illness representations influence patient adherence and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how chronic kidney disease (CKD) influences patients' individual illness representations.
• To explore the relationship between CKD stage, symptom burden, and causal attributions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) with 54 CKD patients (stages 2-5, not on renal replacement therapy).
• Conducted cognitive interviews with 7 additional patients for in-depth understanding.
• Analyzed data to compare illness perceptions across different CKD stages and symptom levels.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in illness understanding were observed between earlier and advanced CKD stages.
• Patients with fewer symptoms perceived their condition differently than those with more symptoms.
• Behavioral and psychological attributions were frequently cited as causes of CKD, correlating with negative illness representations.
• Uncertainty regarding symptom attribution to CKD was noted, particularly in earlier disease stages.

Conclusions:

• Illness representations vary significantly with CKD stage and symptom burden.
• Patients in earlier CKD stages with fewer symptoms perceived their illness as less threatening than those in advanced stages.
• Self-blame was a common causal attribution identified in patients.
• A notable gap exists in patients' disease knowledge, as symptoms were not always linked to CKD, especially in early stages.