Psychiatric complications with chronic hemodialysis--importance of psychological and social care.

Because of a desire to provide the most suitable treatment for hemodialysis patients, psychological, physical and social problems influencing psychiatric conditions of the patients were studied. One hundred hemodialysis inpatients were compared in each group divided by their characteristics, i.e. age, presence of family problems, occupation, physical complications and their character traits. Psychiatric conditions were most favorable between 3 and 12 months after the introduction of hemodialysis, whereas in other hemodialysis terms depression was noticed in more than half of the subjects. In most of the patients, irritation and anger, and loss of brightness and sympathy were observed during the first 3 months or later than 12 months after the introduction of therapy, respectively. Some of the patients required explanations about the necessity of hemodialysis repeatedly and/or through consecutive psychotherapeutic interviews. This study suggested that a poor outcome of psychological conditions after the introduction of hemodialysis was indicated by the presence of family problems, symptoms of physical origin, the absence of full-time work, having a young child or children, age in the 20-40 year group, B and E type character traits classified by the Yatabe and Gilford test and a long duration of therapy.