Pain, Anxiety, and Depression in Patients Undergoing Chronic Hemodialysis Treatment: A Multicentre Cohort Study

Pain is a considerable health concern that interferes with hemodialysis treatment outcomes and can lead to a patient developing anxiety and depression.

To examine the perception of pain in patients on chronic hemodialysis therapy, and to analyze the relationship between their pain, anxiety, depression, and sociodemographic data.

The research was conducted using a quantitative, observational, cross-sectional design. The study recruited 138 patients from multicentered hemodialysis units. A battery of questionnaires, including the visual analog scale (VaS) as pain intensity scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and an ad hoc sociodemographic data questionnaire, were given to patients to answer during their hemodialysis sessions. A linear regression analysis was conducted to obtain the results.

The mean of pain to all participants was generally low, as per AVS scale (0-10) it was 3.6 (stanard deviation [SD] = 3.07). Women manifested lower levels of pain than men (p = .015). One in five participants in both sexes suffered from clinical anxiety and one in six participants in both sexes suffered from clinical depression. Women scored higher on both the anxiety (4.8 versus 4.2) and depression scale (6.8 versus 6.5). Those participants who manifested clinical anxiety were younger compared with those who did not (aged 56.8 versus 66.8 years). Finally, older patients (aged 68.5 years) manifested higher levels of depression.

The level of pain perceived by patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis therapy was generally low, especially in women. The study also demonstrated a positive association between levels of pain and anxiety and depression.