Correlations Between Spirituality, Anxiety, and Depression in Hemodialysis Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Spirituality is widely recognized as a potential moderator of the adverse effects of hemodialysis on mental health. Understanding its impact on mental health in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, however, remains a significant research gap. Hence, this study aims to explore the correlations between spirituality, anxiety, and depression among Saudi Arabian patients undergoing hemodialysis. Using a cross-sectional design, 121 hemodialysis patients were recruited. Self-administered surveys were employed to capture demographic data, as well as a Depression and Anxiety Scale, and a Spiritual Well-being Scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics, along with multivariate regression, were utilized to analyze the data. Results show that the majority of respondents (77.7-87.6%) report moderate levels of religious well-being (RBW) and existential well-being (EWB), while 76.8-15.7% showed low-to-moderate levels of depression, respectively. Additionally, 20.7% of patients experienced moderate-to-severe anxiety. Significant negative correlations were found between RWB/EWB and depression (r = - 0.459, r = - 0.601, p < 0.001, respectively) and between RWB / EWB and anxiety (r = - 0.341, r = - 0.536, p < 0.001). The RWB accounted for 54.9% of the religious score variance, showing a strong correlation with existential score (beta = 0.655, p < 0.001), but not with anxiety or depression. Similarly, the EWB accounted for 63.7% of the EWB variance, showing a correlation with religious score (beta = 0.528, p < 0.001) and anxiety score (beta = - 0.199, p < 0.05), but not with depression. In contrast, the depression explained 71.2% of the variation in depression scores, as well as showing strong correlations with anxiety (beta = 0.663, p < 0.05). The anxiety accounted for 66.8% of the variance in anxiety scores, with depression being a significant predictor (beta = 0.763, p < 0.001). This study highlights the importance of integrating spirituality into holistic care for hemodialysis patients because its presence positively influences both mental and physical health outcomes.