Research in Medicine

Background: Chronic renal failure requires intensive medical care such as dialysis and kidney transplantation. These interventions may result in different socio-psychological problems. The present study was conducted to compare these complications before and after the transplantation. Materials and methods: 75 patients who had been hospitalized in Taleghani and Shaheed Hasheminejad hospitals in Tehran in 1998 were evaluated. Finally, 54 patients who have undergone operation were selected. Demographic data, GHQ-28 questionnaire (to assess general health), revised form of SCL-90 (to assess anxiety and depression) and PDAS-II (to assess psychiatric disability) were completed before and after the operation.

 Results: Depression and anxiety did alter significantly. The mean depression was 8.25±8.10, and 7.09±7.1 I before and after the operation (p<0.05), however, the mean anxiety was 6.06±6.19 and 5.00±4.987 before and after the operation (p<0.05). Kidney transplantation did not alter the psychiatric disability and also general health status.

 Conclusion: Results have revealed that dialysis-related psychological disorder (anxiety and depression) may decrease as the dialysis terminate, however, this alteration was not that significant to change subjects' life style, at least during the study period).