Psychological Factors of Treatment Adherence in Renal Failure
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Treatment Adherence in End-Stage Renal Disease: Exploring Attachment Styles and Mood as predictors.
IRAS ID
201868
Contact name
Jessica Gordon
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bangor University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Haemodialysis is a form of dialysis treatment provided for patients who have end-stage renal disease (ESRD). A patient’s regime whilst receiving haemodialysis can be severely restrictive, including minimal fluid intake, avoidance of foods that are high in sodium, potassium and phosphate and adhering to medication. Patients attend dialysis three to four times per week, with each session taking place for approximately four hours. Although patients are aware that deviation from their regime can result in adverse physical symptoms or fatal consequences, non-adherence in patients with ESRD is a widespread problem (Schneider, Friend & Whitaker, 1991).
Research has begun to investigate psychological risk factors associated with non-adherence. Symptoms of depression and anxiety have been found to be significant predictors of treatment adherence in numerous chronic health conditions, including renal disease (DiMatteo, Lepper & Croghan, 2000; Cukor, et al., 2009). In addition, factors such as a patient’s social support and relationships have been found to be associated with treatment non-adherence in ESRD, leading to increased mortality rate, (Kutner et al., 2002)Within other areas of research on alternative chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, attachment styles, including how a patient develops and maintains relationships with family, friends and professionals, can significantly influence their adherence to treatment (Ciechanowski, Katon, Russo & Walker, 2001). Given that a number of studies acknowledge the importance of family, social and professional relationships in ESRD treatment adherence, looking at attachment style may be beneficial in understanding patterns in adherence. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess how a patient’s attachment style can influence their treatment adherence in ESRD. Given that other studies have also shown mood to be useful in predicting treatment adherence, depression and anxiety will also be assessed to see whether a combination of these factors may predict variance in treatment adherence.
REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
16/WA/0244
Date of REC Opinion
16 Sep 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion