Psychological distress and multimorbidity in patients with chronic kidney disease

Abstract: The aim of the study was to examine the level of psychological distress and its correlation with multimorbidity in patients with chronic kidney disease. The participants were individuals with end-stage renal failure who receive hemodialysis in three outpatient clinics in Gothenburg. Of the 163 outpatients reviewed, 83 completed the questionnaire and were included in the study. Psychological distress was assessed with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and multimorbidity with the Cumulative Illness Scale (CIRS). The results showed a significant correlation between multimorbidity and psychological distress with 30.6 % of the variation in psychological distress being explained by multimorbidity. The above association was also found significant after controlling for the confounding variables age, gender and living conditions.