Psychological well-being and psychiatric disturbance in dialysis and renal transplant patients

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Abstract
The rate of psychiatric morbidity and levels of psychological well-being and distress were assessed in groups of dialysis, renal transplant and general practice patients. Dialysis patients suffered from significantly higher rates of psychiatric morbidity, with 43 per cent falling into the probable psychiatric case range on the GHQ. Results from the Mental Health Inventory also showed dialysis patients to have a significantly poorer level of psychological adjustment than the other groups. While positive mental health states in dialysis patients were not significantly different from transplant and general practice controls, higher rates of psychological distress were found in patients on dialysis. Distress was characterized by a loss of emotional control and higher levels of depression.