透析患者的憂鬱現象及其護理處置

Depression is a common psychopathological condition among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Depression influences their quality of life and physical functioning. Moreover, some severely depressed patients choose to withdraw from dialysis treatment or even to commit suicide. The purpose of this article is to introduce depression and its assessment scales, treatment types and nursing interventions, so that nurses can use reliable and valid tools and procedures to screen dialysis patients' depression. To improve patients' depression, effective strategies include not only increasing the frequency of dialysis, but also applying cognitive behavior therapy. The literature shows that the more positive the patient's attitude and the less negative the emotions, the more efficacious the relief of depression will be.