Fatigue, Depression and Sleep Disturbance among Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract

Patients on hemodialysis (HD) may experience troubling symptoms, which cause daily distress and negatively affects their quality of life (QoL). The study aim was to assess the psychological problems such as fatigue, depression and sleep disturbance among HD patients. This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in the HD units at the General and Fevers Hospitals in Zagazig City on 105 adult patients on HD. The data collection tool consisted of an interview form, which included a Sleep Disturbance Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scale, and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) of sleep disorder. The study findings revealed that more than half of the patients were male (54.3%), age 50 years or older (50.5%), illiterate (57.1%), and working (54.3%). Overall, 90.5% of the patients had sleep problems and 83.8% had fatigue symptoms; 37.1% and 33.3% had severe and moderate depression symptoms respectively. Patient’s age, income, marital status, and duration of illness have significant influences on these disorders. Hence, these patients need psychological support in order to relieve these symptoms and prevent their untoward effects on their health and wellbeing. Further research is proposed to test the effectiveness of nursing interventions in decreasing depression and fatigue symptoms, and improving the quality of sleep among HD patients.