Depression and self-perceived burden of care by hemodialysis patients and their caregivers

Objective. To determine the depressive symptoms, perceived social support, and self-perceived burden in chronic hemodialysis (CHD) patients; identify depressive symptoms and degree of fatigue in caregivers of CHD patients; evaluate-in patients-the association between self-perceived burden and perceived social support, and between self-perceived burden and depressive symptoms; and evaluate-in caregivers-the relationship between the number of years of care and the degree of fatigue reached. Methods. A sample of 162 patient-caregiver pairs was selected in which an adapted version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, along with the Self-perceived Burden Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Fatigue Severity Scale were applied. The instruments were administered to patients by trained research assistants and, in the case of the caregivers, were self-administered. Results. Forty percent of the patients were women, with an average age of 56 +/- 14.9 years, whereas 75% of the primary caregivers were female spouses, with an average age of 50 +/- 16.1 years. It was observed that the patients (40.74%) as well as the primary caregivers (43.82%) had depressive symptoms. A positive association (r = 0.43, P < 0.001) was found between self-perceived burden and the presence of depressive symptoms in patients. Conclusions. The majority of the primary caregivers were women and relatives of the patients. They perceived themselves as fatigued with care, as did the patients themselves. The presence of depressive symptoms was similar in patients and caregivers. There was a statistically significant association between self-perceived burden and the presence of depressive symptoms in patients.