Assessment of Anxiety and Stress Levels in Children Undergoing Hemodialysis

Abstract

Background: Children with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis therapy experience various physical and mental problems that contribute to psychological disorders such as stress and anxiety. It can affect the mental and physical components of poor quality of life. Several factors seem to trigger anxiety and stress in children on hemodialysis such as co-morbidities, uremia, failure of family support and restrictions in daily life. Aim of the study: was to assess anxiety and stress levels in children undergoing hemodialysis. Design: A descriptive research design was used to achieve the aim of this study. Setting: This study was conducted at Nephrology Unit at Beni-Suef University Hospital affiliated to Ministry of Higher Education and Alhomiat Hospital affiliated to Ministry of Health and population. Sample: A purposive sample of 66 children undergoing hemodialysis were included in the study. Tools: Three tools were used to collect the data. A predesigned questionnaire, Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (CMAS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Results: The study findings showed that 66.7% of the studied children were in the age group 11 <15 years with Mean ± SD 9.11 ±1 .66, as well as 90.9% of the studied children undergoing hemodialysis had sever level of anxiety, and 6.1% of them had moderate level of anxiety, while, 3% of them had mild level of anxiety. The results of the study showed that, 55% of the studied children had sever level of stress, while 42% of them had moderate level of stress, and 2.6% had mild level of stress. Also, there was a positive correlation between children's total level of anxiety and their total level of stress. Conclusion: It can be concluded that, children undergoing hemodialysis most of them suffering from a sever anxiety, and more than half of them had a high stress level. Meanwhile there was a significant relation between children total level of anxiety and their gender, residence and duration of hemodialysis sessions. Also there was a significant relation between children total level of stress and their gender. Additionally the study concluded that, there was a positive correlation between children's total level of anxiety and their total level of stress. Recommendations: Application of psychosocial counseling program for children and their families together with social and educational support groups to enable children undergoing hemodialysis to live and function independently in adulthood.