Depression and Medication Adherence in Patients on Hemodialysis

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients.
• Depression is linked to poor adherence to hemodialysis (HD) and worse health outcomes, including increased morbidity and mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of depression in patients with ESRD on chronic hemodialysis (HD).
• To examine the relationship between depression and adherence to blood pressure (BP) management regimens, including fluid intake, HD sessions, and BP medications.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive secondary correlational analysis was performed.
• Data from 118 patients on chronic HD were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Approximately 80% of the study sample exhibited moderate depression.
• A significant association was found between depression and nonadherence to BP medications at baseline (r = .239, p = .01) and at 12 weeks (r = .20, p = .027).

Conclusions:

• Routine depression screening and validated treatment are recommended for patients on chronic HD due to high prevalence and link to nonadherence.
• Depression is a modifiable risk factor; interventions addressing both depression and BP regimen adherence in the HD population require further investigation.