Abstract
Introduction. Patient with chronic renal failure and in need of renal replacement therapy is exposed to stress. The chronic disease reduces or even prevents meeting the psychosocial needs. There are also many other factors which intensify the stress. Their identification is an important element of finding remedies and giving effective support to patients.
Aim. The aim of an article is to find causes of dialyzed patients’ stress.
Material and methods. There were examined 100 patients suffering from renal failures, using a questionnaire survey designed by the authors. The findings were analyzed statistically. A homogeneity test looking at unrelated quality characteristics was used for checking whether there were any differences between compared groups of patients.
Results. Seventy-four percent of patients pointed to the fact that they were stressed by the new situation. The necessity of altering their lifestyle was mentioned by 84% of respondents. Almost a half of patients (41%) had to quit their jobs. Almost one out of three felt discriminated by the society against their renal replacement therapy.
Conclusions. The findings of this research suggest that renal replacement therapy can become a direct source of stress among patients. Moreover, patients feel stressed because of necessity of changing their lifestyles and giving up their jobs. There is a relationship between the attitude of the closest people and patients’ needs for support.