The Relationship between The Thoughts of Hemodialysis Patients on Sleep Quality, and Depression and Anxiety Levels

Background/aims: This study aimed to determine the level of sleep quality among patients undergoing hemodialysis, assess their awareness of, and examine the relationship between sleep quality and levels of depression and anxiety symptoms, as well as the demographic characteristics and clinical features of the disease. Methods: In this descriptive study, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to 123 hemodialysis patients. Factors associated with sleep quality were analyzed using univariate analysis, considering age, sex, education level, disease duration, hemodialysis duration, and possible depression and anxiety as related variables. A correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between sleep quality and anxiety and depression scores. Results: The percentage of poor sleep quality among the patients was 47.2%, with 12.2% showing signs of possible depression and 30.1% indicating possible anxiety disorder. Notably, among those with poor sleep quality, only 40.0% perceived their sleep quality as poor. Patients with poor sleep quality had significantly higher levels of depression (U = 850.500, p < .001) and anxiety symptoms (U = 820.500, p < .001). Conclusion: A significant proportion of hemodialysis patients experience poor sleep quality, yet nearly half of them are unaware of it. There is a strong relationship between diminished sleep quality and elevated mental health symptoms in this population. Routine sleep quality evaluation and collaboration with psychiatric professionals appear essential for this patient group.