Archive 1992–2014

Aim. An attempt was made in the paper to review the literature on the prevalence of depressive disorders in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Review. Depression is a severe problem markedly impairing ESRD patients' quality of life. The depressive syndrome prevalence in ESRD patients is unknown, but it ranges probably from 5 to10%. The most recent data confirm that the presence of depressive symptomatology is associated with morbidity, as well as with subjectively perceived quality of life perception and mortality in dialysed ESRD patients. An important and unresolved question is a lack of a specific diagnostic instrument for an early diagnosis of depression in ESRD that would enable these patients to receive an appropriate treatment possibly soon.
Conclusions. Dialysis patients should be screened for depression. All medical staff members should cooperate to identify problems related to dialysed patients' quality of life. A correct and early diagnosis followed by an appropriate anidepressive and anxiolytic treatment may considerably reduce the risk of interrupting dialysis therapy.