Social climate perception and depression of patients and staff in a chronic hemodialysis unit

This socioecological study investigates the relationship of depression and social climate perception of patients (N = 59) and staff N = 18) in a chronic hemodialysis unit. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Moos Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS) Form C revised for dialysis are used for measurement. Patients and staff are found to have significantly dissonant perception of the unit. Patients perceive the environment more negatively than the staff. Depressed patients correlate with Low WAS scores (p less than .03) indicating that depression influences social climate perception. Depressed patient BDI items are correlated with WAS items via a series of Pearson correlation coefficients for a perceptual profile. Discussion is made as to the dysfunctional affects of dissonance, depression, staff denial and withdrawal. Further studies on altering the social ecology of dialysis units as a method for reducing depression and staff turnover rates are called for.