The Relation between Perceived Social Support and Anxiety in Patients under Hemodialysis

The increase in the number of patients under hemodialysis treatment is a universal problem. With regard to the fact that there have been few social-psychological studies conducted on patients under hemodialysis treatment, the current study was conducted to investigate anxiety and perceived social support and the relation between them among these patients.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 126 patients under hemodialysis treatment in Isfahan in 2012. After randomly selecting a hospital with a hemodialysis ward, purposive sampling was conducted. Data collection tools included state-trait anxiety and perceived social support inventory. The data were analyzed using the Spearman correlation coefficient.

Among the participants, 68.3% received average perceived social support. In addition, perceiving the tangible dimension of support was lower compared to other dimensions (Mean 40.02). Level of trait and state anxiety (65 and 67.5%) of over half of the participants was average. There was in inverse relationship between state and trait anxiety and total perceived social support and emotional and information dimensions (r = -0.340, r = -0.229). State and trait anxiety had the highest relation with emotional and information dimension of social support, respectively.

Patients under hemodialysis treatment suffer from numerous psychological and social problems. Low awareness and emotional problems result in the increase of anxiety and reduction of perceived social support. Reduction of social support has negative effect on treatment outcomes.