A recent article discussed recent research on the possible link between psychological distress and poor self-management of Chronic Kidney Disease. Of interest is that very similar findings have been found for dialysis patients. Key findings include - 27.2% of patients had psychological distress; and Higher distress was linked to poorer diet, less physical activity and lower medication adherence.
“Beginning with the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD) onward, patients are confronted with profound changes that require extensive emotional skills. An additional burden is adhering to disease self-management recommendations,” lead researcher Cinderella K. Cardol, PhD, These same emotional skills are required once the disease progresses to End Stage Kidney Disease and even moreso as the self-management requirements can be more than experienced with CKD.
Depressive symptoms were also associated with poorer adherence to self-management recommendations, according to the study. Anxiety was linked to poorer dietary and medication adherence. Failure to adhere with recommended diet and medication can have severe consequences for dialysis patients ranging from itching to painful dialysis to hospitalizations.
The researchers concluded - “Tailored interventions to screen for and treat both psychological and self-management difficulties in parallel may be effective in improving physical and psychological outcomes,” the authors wrote. This approach is built into our mental wellness program as we feel self-management of emotional distress as opposed to additional medicine will result in better outcomes.