News Release

Factors linked with wellbeing and medication adherence in young adults with kidney failure

Peer-Reviewed Publication

American Society of Nephrology

Washington, DC (October 16, 2018) -- A new study evaluates important aspects of psychological health in young adults with kidney failure. The findings, which appear in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN), point to the need for additional efforts to address the wellbeing of these patients.

In addition to affecting their physical health, kidney failure affects the psychosocial health of young people. With this in mind, Alexander Hamilton, MD (University of Bristol, UK) and his colleagues conducted a study to determine which factors influence mental wellbeing and medication adherence in young adults who have received a kidney transplant or are undergoing dialysis.

After analyzing data from the UK Renal Registry and online surveys completed by 417 young adults in the UK with transplants and 173 on dialysis, the investigators found that wellbeing was positively associated with extraversion, openness, independence, and social support, and negatively associated with neuroticism, negative body image, stigma, psychological morbidity, and dialysis. Higher medication adherence was associated with living with parents, conscientiousness, physician access satisfaction, patient activation, age, and male sex, and lower adherence with comorbidity, dialysis, education, ethnicity, and psychological morbidity.

"Worse outcomes for mental wellbeing and medication adherence were both associated with psychological morbidity and dialysis treatment, whereas social support and living with parents were associated with better outcomes. These findings are important because mental health problems appear under-recognized and may be treatable," said Dr. Hamilton. "Our results suggest a possible role for routine measurement of psychological health in young people, to avoid missing opportunities to identify and improve mental health. This could help identify those at higher risk of poor outcomes for close monitoring, greater psychosocial support, or targeted interventions."

Dr. Hamilton added that there has been much focus both on programs to improve the transition from pediatric to adult care for kidney failure patients. "It is vital to understand which factors influence wellbeing and medication adherence, because by defining these we can seek interventions to improve areas of deficit," he said. "These areas really matter to patients."

In an accompanying Caregiver Perspective, Pam Duquette and Kelly Helm note that "clinics must create an environment where psychological health is consistently monitored and addressed, and patients and their caregivers are given tools to advocate for themselves. This study is a wonderful start and can be used as a stepping stone to further understand how a patient's environment effects their future care."

Also, an accompanying Patient Perspective by Amanda Grandinetti, MPH, stresses that differentiation in the nephrology care that adolescents and young adults receive from the adult population is critical.

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Study co-authors include Fergus Caskey, MD, Anna Casula, PhD, Carol Inward, MD, Yoav Ben-Shlomo, MD, PhD.

Disclosures: The study was funded by Kidney Care UK and Kidney Research UK.

The article, entitled "Associations with wellbeing and medication adherence in young adults receiving kidney replacement therapy," will appear online at http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/ on October 16, 2018, doi: 10.2215/CJN.02450218.

The Caregiver Perspective, entitled "Treatment Adherence in Young Adults Receiving Renal Replacement Therapy: A Caregiver Perspective," will appear online at http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/ on October 16, 2018.

The Patient Perspective, entitled "Treatment Adherence in Young Adults Receiving Renal Replacement Therapy: A Patient Perspective," will appear online at http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/ on October 16, 2018.

The content of this article does not reflect the views or opinions of The American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s). ASN does not offer medical advice. All content in ASN publications is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This content should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider if you have any questions about a medical condition, or before taking any drug, changing your diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. Do not ignore or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of information accessed through ASN. Call 911 or your doctor for all medical emergencies.

Since 1966, ASN has been leading the fight to prevent, treat, and cure kidney diseases throughout the world by educating health professionals and scientists, advancing research and innovation, communicating new knowledge, and advocating for the highest quality care for patients. ASN has nearly 20,000 members representing 131 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.asn-online.org or contact the society at 202-640-4660.


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