Psychological Wellbeing of Hemodialysis Patients: Findings from a Clinic-Based Pilot Study

Hemodialysis (HD) patients have a higher prevalence of mental health diagnoses and lower quality of life due to the nature of their treatment and chronic illness. Prior research regarding HD patient quality of life has been done using clinical quality of life measures. These measures fail to consider social support and social isolation as factors of well being. Hemodialysis patients experience increased social isolation due to the time-consuming nature of in-center treatment and the impact of chronic illness on daily life and social interaction. There is little focus on how to improve their psychological well being alongside their physical health. This study seeks to determine the factors that contribute most significantly to psychological well being and social isolation experienced by the hemodialysis patients. A pilot study was conducted on adults currently undergoing dialysis at a Dialysis Clinic, Inc. hemodialysis unit in Albany, NY. Consenting participants were asked to complete a 20 minute survey on social support and instrumental support, demographic factors relating to treatment such as commute time and wait time, and standard demographic items. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS. This presentation will include an overview of findings from the pilot study (n = 26), namely that dialysis patients experience long commute times, long wait times, and are largely of low socioeconomic status. Future research to understand the relationships between psychological well-being, support, and experiences among patients undergoing hemodialysis is needed to improve the overall well-being of patients.