In order to understand depression in dialysis patients, we must know the meaning of the mental illness of depression. “Depression is a syndrome, a cluster of emotional, physical, and behavioral symptoms characterized by sadness, low self-esteem, loss of pleasure, and sometimes, difficulty functioning. If these problems persist for more than two weeks, cause real suffering, and interfere with the business and pleasure of daily life you may have clinical depression” (Pinsky, n.d.). “Depression is the most common psychiatric illness in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The reported prevalence of depression in dialysis population varied from 22.8% (interview-based diagnosis) to 39.3% (self- or clinician-administered rating scales)”
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This topic interests me professionally because in our facility we do depression screenings. There is a geriatric depressive scale in which we use. Many of patients just want to talk to someone about their feelings and about their life. As a future social worker, service to these dialysis patients is important, to help those in need and address social problems. To identify and appreciate the dignity and worth of the individual. (socialworker.org) A lot of the depression in dialysis patients is going misdiagnosed due to the common symptoms of fatigue and tiredness etc. I want to be able to change that and work harder to develop a better understanding of depression and how to carefully diagnose that within this affected …show more content…
Many patients on dialysis do well if individual psychotherapy is administered during the dialysis sessions itself. Another complication is the nonadherence to the treatment and medical regimens. Such patients take appointments, but do not visit the doctor and may also get angry on the staff of the dialysis unit. The dialysis population is not just a cross-section of the general population. This group is skewed in the direction of the noncompliant diabetic, noncompliant hypertensive and also the alcoholic. These patients often express their anger as they feel that many others lead a normal life, while they have to suffer and undergo repeated medical procedures” (Psychiatric illness, nbdi). Receiving the treatment they need for depression is often times difficult. The patients are given surveys to complete and many of them are always
This topic interests me professionally because in our facility we do depression screenings. There is a geriatric depressive scale in which we use. Many of patients just want to talk to someone about their feelings and about their life. As a future social worker, service to these dialysis patients is important, to help those in need and address social problems. To identify and appreciate the dignity and worth of the individual. (socialworker.org) A lot of the depression in dialysis patients is going misdiagnosed due to the common symptoms of fatigue and tiredness etc. I want to be able to change that and work harder to develop a better understanding of depression and how to carefully diagnose that within this affected …show more content…
Many patients on dialysis do well if individual psychotherapy is administered during the dialysis sessions itself. Another complication is the nonadherence to the treatment and medical regimens. Such patients take appointments, but do not visit the doctor and may also get angry on the staff of the dialysis unit. The dialysis population is not just a cross-section of the general population. This group is skewed in the direction of the noncompliant diabetic, noncompliant hypertensive and also the alcoholic. These patients often express their anger as they feel that many others lead a normal life, while they have to suffer and undergo repeated medical procedures” (Psychiatric illness, nbdi). Receiving the treatment they need for depression is often times difficult. The patients are given surveys to complete and many of them are always