SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE TREATED BY CONTINUOUS AMBULATORY PERITONEAL DIALYSIS

In the present study, depression and sociodemographic factors were investigated in patients with chronic renal failure treated by continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). This descriptive study included 24 patients (13 male, 11 female) treated by CAPD in Hemodialysis Center of Dicle University. Patients were evaluated according to Hamilton's Depression Scale (HAM-D) and sociodemographic factors. Mean dialysis period of CAPD patients was 20.1 ±10.4 months, the average age was 40.6+12.8 years, and mean HAM-D score was 9+6. In general, the main complaints of patients were somatic anxiety (18 patients, 75.0%), general somatic symptoms, agitation, psychic anxiety, and hypochondria (14 patients, 58.3%), depressive mood (13 patients, 54.2%), feeling himself/herself guilty and early morning waking (12 patients, 50%). Six patients (25%) had different degree of suicidal ideas. One of them committed suicide. There is a strong positive correlation between HAM-D score and suicidal idea (r=0.77, p<0.0001). We found also a strong positive correlation between HAM-D score and psychic anxiety (r=0.60, p=0.002). In conclusion, our findings suggest that the higher HAM-D score of patients undergoing CAPD treatment are associated with suicidal ideas, psychic anxiety and lack of activity.