Mental Health Impacts in Chronic Kidney Disease During COVID-19 Pandemic
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted profound psychological pressure on people with chronic kidney disease (CKD), a group already coping with the stresses of a life-limiting condition. Shielding measures and the inherent risk of severe infection led many to experience heightened anxiety, depression and feelings of isolation. For patients attending dialysis, the necessity of frequent hospital visits compounded fears of exposure, while those managing their condition at home grappled with interruptions to clinical support and peer networks. Despite these challenges, targeted interventions—such as telemedicine consultations, structured nursing support and tailored exercise and mental health programmes—have shown promise in sustaining emotional wellbeing. Differences in mental health trajectories among patients on haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and post-transplant recipients highlight the importance of personalised care pathways. The global scale of the impact has prompted calls for integrating psychological screening and remote psychosocial services into routine CKD management, ensuring resilience and quality of life are preserved through current and future health emergencies.
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Mental Health Impacts in Chronic Kidney Disease During COVID-19 Pandemic publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in mental health impacts in chronic kidney disease during covid-19 pandemic across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): A long-term condition characterised by gradual loss of kidney function over time.
End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD): The final, most severe stage of CKD requiring renal replacement therapy, such as dialysis or transplantation.
Haemodialysis (HD): A treatment that filters waste and water from the blood by diverting it through a machine.
Peritoneal Dialysis (PD): A home-based therapy using the peritoneal membrane to clear waste products via infused dialysis fluid.
Mental Component Summary (MCS): A composite score derived from health-related quality of life surveys that reflects overall mental health status.
Quality of Life (QoL): A measure of an individual’s overall physical, psychological and social well-being.
References
- The effect of refined nursing intervention on patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis in the hemodialysis center during the COVID-19 epidemic. BMC Nursing (2021).
- Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Psychological Well-Being of Older Chronic Kidney Disease Patients. Frontiers in Medicine (2021).
- Understanding the Impact of Initial COVID-19 Restrictions on Physical Activity, Wellbeing and Quality of Life in Shielding Adults with End-Stage Renal Disease in the United Kingdom Dialysing at Home versus In-Centre and Their Experiences with Telemedicine. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2021).
- Depression, anxiety and quality of life of hemodialysis patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Psychosomatic Research (2022).
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