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Emotional changes of patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis during the COVID-19 lockdown
Qianyun Zhao1, Yuyu Zhu1, Junyi Jiang1
1Institute of Nephrology and Inflammatory Immune Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Insights
The COVID-19 lockdown significantly increased anxiety, anger, loneliness, and depression in hemodialysis patients. This highlights the need for mental health support during public health crises for this vulnerable population.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Nephrology
- Public Health
Background:
- Maintenance hemodialysis patients face unique challenges, potentially exacerbated by external stressors.
- The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns presented unprecedented public health challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on negative emotions in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.
- To assess changes in anxiety, anger, loneliness, and depression during the lockdown period.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 174 maintenance hemodialysis patients.
- The Medical Staff Stress and Negative Emotions Scale (MSSNS) was used to measure emotional states before and during the lockdown.
Main Results:
- Patients reported significantly higher scores for anxiety, anger, loneliness, and depression during the lockdown compared to the pre-lockdown period (p < 0.001).
- All collected questionnaires (n=174) were valid, indicating robust data collection.
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 lockdown period was associated with a significant increase in negative emotions among hemodialysis patients.
- There is a critical need to prioritize and support the mental well-being of hemodialysis patients during public health emergencies.
Objective:
This study aims to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 lockdown period on anxiety, anger, loneliness and depression, four categories of negative emotions, in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted, and a total of 174 patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis at the Second Affiliated Hospital and Fourth Affiliated Hospital Hemodialysis Center of Anhui Medical University between October 20 and October 27, 2022, were selected as the study subjects. We used the Medical Staff Stress and Negative Emotions Scale (MSSNS) to assess the emotional changes in anxiety, anger, loneliness and depression in these patients before and during the lockdown.
Results:
A total of 174 questionnaires were collected, all of which were valid. During the lockdown period, the scores for anxiety (18.89 ± 6.83), anger (10.20 ± 3.32), loneliness (10.86 ± 3.81) and depression (14.13 ± 4.24) were significantly higher than the scores before the lockdown for anxiety (16.63 ± 4.64), anger (9.74 ± 2.60), loneliness (10.26 ± 3.35) and depression (13.11 ± 4.24). These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
During the COVID-19 lockdown, patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis experienced significantly higher levels of anxiety, anger, loneliness and depression compared to the pre-lockdown period. Our study emphasizes the importance of paying sufficient attention to the mental health of hemodialysis patients during such public health crises.
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