Psychiatric adjustment in children with chronic renal failure

Problems in psychiatric adjustment were found to be more common in children and adolescents with chronic renal failure (22 subjects on hospital haemodialysis and 22 with less severe renal failure) than in healthy matched controls. There was a trend towards more definite and marked psychological difficulties in patients with more severe renal condition. However, the less severely physically ill children tended to have increased difficulties in school adjustment and they reported more feelings of loneliness. The findings have implications on the management of children with chronic renal failure.