Factors Associated with Depression in Patients under Hemodialysis Treatment

Abstract

Objective: to determine the factors associated with depression in patients under hemodialysis treatment. Methods: observational and analytical study of cases and controls. The sample included 40 cases and 40 controls. The participants were patients from the Department of Nephrology of the General Hospital of the zone who received treatment during 2011, wanted to participate in the study and signed the informed consent. A variable social-demographic survey and Hamilton rating scale for depression with 17 items were applied. The variables studied were: depression, family structure, marital status, occupation, number of years with chronic renal disease and being under hemodialysis treatment. Results: 27.7% showed depression. There was no relationship found between family dysfunction and depression. Being a housewife, know how to read and write, having suffered chronic kidney disease for more than five years, and being a member of a large family has a positive associated risk, however, confidence intervals and the value of p were not significant in any of them. Conclusions: the present study was useful because it allowed us to identify depression in patients under hemodialysis treatment. It is required a research with a larger number of participants to increase the validity of the work.