Interplay of Anxiety and Depression With Quality of Life in Endstage Renal Disease

BACKGROUND: Endstage renal disease (ESRD) is increasingly being recognized as a major public health issue globally. Planning of intervention measures is preferably hinged on what is known about outcome parameters. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the influence of anxiety with depression and psychosocial- and treatment-related correlates on quality of life (QOL) in ESRD. METHODOLOGY: Overall, 100 eligible individuals with ESRD were recruited by systematic random sampling technique. They were initially interviewed using the sociodemographic/clinical profile questionnaire, followed by assessment with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Subsequently, subjective QOL of participants was assessed using the World Health Organization QOL-BREF. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 41.9 ± 10.9 years, and males (55.0%) were preponderant. A total of 29 (29.0%) participants had diagnosable anxiety with depression psychopathology based on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores ≥ 8. Different degrees of impairment across domains of QOL were observed. Factors like being employed, married status, younger age, and spending less on treatment correlated positively with good QOL across specific domains, whereas comorbid anxiety with depression, history of dialysis, monthly income less than ₦50,000 ($300), and having up to 50 dialysis sessions correlated negatively with good outcome in specific domains of QOL (p < 0.05). However, only age, anxiety/depression, employment, and history of dialysis were independently related to QOL following logistic regression analyses. CONCLUSION: The care of ESRD should be matched with need-based mental health services, and psychosocial support across important illness trajectories is indicated for best outcome. Further research among people with ESRD is also warranted.