A person receiving dialysis treatment, who recently participated in our study on quality of life, stated: “I have met many, many medical staff that are scared of depression and anxiety. Any mental health issues – they don’t even wanna talk about them, period. So, if they’re asking ‘the depression question’ and think, ‘Oh my goodness. He is a seven out of ten, wow! I wonder what’s going on there?’ But once they ask that question, they really need to be prepared to do something about it.” Mental health concerns are very common for people receiving dialysis. Unfortunately, mental health symptoms are rarely addressed or treated in dialysis. This gap in dialysis care must be addressed. We worked together with people receiving dialysis, community members, clinicians, leaders, and researchers to create a document, called a “pathway,” to guide mental health care in dialysis in Alberta, Canada. We found out what was currently done for mental health care in dialysis care. We then interviewed people receiving dialysis, clinicians, and administrators. We also sent a survey to clinicians. We used this information to create statements that people voted on, two times, to guide pathway development. Statements needed to be approved by both groups: people receiving dialysis and all other voters. A pathway was created to address symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as coping in dialysis. The strategies we used ensured that all people had the opportunity to engage in a meaningful way, which is rare in dialysis.

Schick-Makaroff, Kara; Berendonk, Charlotte; Salum, Marlo; Yoeun, Peter; Wichart, Jenny; Armstrong, Marni; Thompson, Stephanie; Elliott, Meghan; Lee, Loretta; Smith, Terry; Reintjes, Frances; Fillier, Denise; Klarenbach, Scott; Sawatzky, Richard

Nephron

Published 2025

Research Project: Mind the Gap