Prevalence of depression in patients on hemodialysis and its impact on quality of life

Objective: The aim was to address the prevalence of depression in a group of patients on hemodialys and determine its effect on quality of life (QoL). Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1st March, 2007 and 28th Feb., 2008 in a district of western Turkey. The study group included 294 hemodialys patients. The questionnaire included the patients' sociodemographic characteristics, Beck Depression Scale, and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36. Chi-square test and Spearman correlation analyses were used for statistical analyses, with a p value lower than 0.05 being considered significant. Results: The average age of the study group was 55.89 +/- 15.22 years (range=19-86). Prevalence of depression was found to be 27.9%, and was significantly higher in women, in those with older age, in those with lower level of education and in unemployed patients (p < 0.05 in each one). The mean scores received from all domains in the SF-36 were significantly lower in depressive patients (p < 0.001 in each one). As the scores that patients received from the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) increased, the scores obtained from all domains in SF-36 showed decrease (p < 0.001, for each one). Conclusion: Depression adversely affecting QoL is a common health problem in hemodialysis patients. Thus, periodic screenings should be done for detection, prevention and control of depression.