Professional psychological stress management in chronic renal failure patients

Abstract

methods of extracorporeal technological substitution of damaged or even lost organ functions but also on the professio0nal psychological management of accompanying stress and anxiety due to the disease.The stress model introduces the social aspect as a bridge between the psychological and somatic functions and this way integrates the etiopathogenic factors. It is suggested that stress causes physiological dysfunctions through psychological mechanisms.The psychological hypertension and injuries exert a powerful influence on the already existing disease. This stands out mainly in the patients with chronic diseases and with CRF in particular. They are traumatised not only by the physical suffering due to the specificity of the primary disease but also ABSTRACT PURPOSE: Any patients with chronic diseases, and especially those with chronic renal failure, face not only the specific physical aspects of their own primary pathology but also the psychological distress when realizing the severity of the progression of this disease and its poor prognosis. The objective of this study was to reveal some psychological features of the patients on haemodialysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The investigation covered 70 patients, 43 males and 27 females with chronic renal failure treated in the Clinic of Dialysis of Varna and in the Dialysis Centre of Targovishte. The patients filled in anonymous questionnaires and underwent a psychological examination according to a modified anxiety scale.RESULTS: Recently, the number of emergency cases in both haemodialysis centres increased. In Varna, the emergency cases were 34 out of 37 while in Targovishte, these amounted to 8 out of 11. This hampered the provision of sufficient information about the disease to the patients. At the onset of treatment, social activity was preserved in 44% of the patients while after 12 months this persisted in 16% of them. More than 85% of the patients retired due to disability caused by the renal disease. The influence on the interpersonal relations of the disease-related stress and anxiety was very unfavourable. CONCLUSION: There is a necessity to apply individualized psychotherapeutic approach to the patients with chronic renal failure in order to improve their adjustment to this severe pathology and collaboration with the physician as well as to minimize their feeling of inevitability.