Supportive versus cognitive-behavioral intervention programs in achieving adjustment to home peritoneal kidney...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Nephrology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Home peritoneal dialysis presents significant psychosocial adjustment challenges for patients and their spouses.
• Maintaining quality of life and psychosocial well-being is crucial during long-term renal replacement therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of supportive and cognitive-behavioral interventions in enhancing psychosocial adjustment for patients undergoing home peritoneal dialysis and their spouses.
• To evaluate the impact of these interventions over an 8-week period.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving three groups: supportive intervention, cognitive-behavioral intervention, and a no-intervention control group.
• Participants included patients and their spouses (couples), with a separate healthy baseline control group.
• Self-report measures assessed psychosocial adjustment at baseline, mid-treatment, and post-treatment.

Main Results:

• The no-intervention control group showed a decline in psychosocial adjustment over time.
• Both the supportive and cognitive-behavioral interventions were effective in maintaining psychosocial adjustment compared to the control group.
• Improvements were most pronounced in emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal domains, with lesser gains in behavioral aspects.

Conclusions:

• Psychological interventions, including supportive and cognitive-behavioral approaches, are beneficial for psychosocial adjustment in home peritoneal dialysis patients and their spouses.
• These interventions help mitigate the negative psychosocial effects associated with long-term dialysis treatment.
• Further research may explore specific components of each intervention for targeted improvements.