Family Support, Depression, and Health-Related Quality of Life of Hemodialysis Patients

Background: Patients who have been medically diagnosed with kidney failure require lifelong hemodialysis treatment unless they undergo a kidney transplant. Therapy dependence and lifestyle changes have an impact on patients' depression rates and overall health-related quality of life. Family support is an essential factor in managing the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aimed to determine the relationship between family support and depression in the health-related quality of life of hemodialysis patients at Panembahan Senopati Hospital, Bantul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, quantitative correlation study. The sampling technique used was consecutive sampling, with 185 respondents. The instruments used were the Perceived Social support-Family (PSS-Fa) questionnaire, Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short From (KDQOL SF-36), Beck Depression Inventory II, and demographic data. The relationship between family support and depression was assessed using the Kendall Tau correlation test, and the relationship between family support and quality of life was calculated using the Kendall Tau correlation test. Results: There was no significant association between family support and health-related quality of life (P = .262). However, family support was significantly associated with depression (P = .040), and a strong relationship was found between health-related quality of life and depression (P = .000) Conclusion: Family support plays an essential role in reducing depression by providing emotional and social resources. Efforts to reduce depression in CKD patients can significantly improve health-related quality of life. However, the impact of family support on the health-related quality of life of hemodialysis patients varies.