Psychosocial problems of patients on the renal unit and their relation to treatment outcome

Eighty patients on a renal unit were interviewed to assess their psychiatric status and social functioning, and 68 survivors were re-interviewed one year later. Psychiatric disorders, which were mainly mood disorders, were inversely related to duration of treatment, and had reduced considerably at follow-up. Social disability was more stable and was related to abnormal personal relationships and to treatment status. Psychiatric disorder was only weakly associated with social disability or physical outcome at follow-up. Despite psychiatric and social problems, 11 patients commented positively on some aspect of their experience of life since starting treatment.