BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to compare the experience elderly and younger patients in terms of emotional status, disease perception, methods of coping with the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) stress, and health-related quality of life in 2 different settings of renal replacement therapy: hemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis programs (CAPD). Specifically, we hypothesized that younger people will more frequently use goal-oriented strategies to cope with illness-related stress and elderly patients will use more strategies related to the control of emotion.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 69 HD patients, 40 CAPD patients, and 89 healthy volunteers were analyzed. The Situation and Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Profile of Mood States, the Cognitive Stress Appraisal Questionnaire, and the Nottingham Health Profile were used to assess anxiety, long-term emotional status, coping mechanisms, and health-related quality of life. Data were collected on several biochemical and demographic variables.

RESULTS: Our study revealed that younger and elderly people on dialysis faced quite different problems. Younger people in both RRT groups had statistically higher assessment of ESRD as loss or challenge and they more frequently used distractive and emotional preoccupation coping strategies. Depression, confusion, and bewilderment dominate the emotional status of both patient populations, especially in the younger cohort. Both HDyoung and CAPDyoung patients complained more about lack of energy, mobility limitations, and sleep disturbances as compared to their elderly HD and CAPD counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS: There are different needs and problems in younger and elderly patients on renal replacement therapy. Younger people required more ESRD-oriented support to relieve their health-related complaints to the level observed in their peers and needed extensive psychological assistance in order to cope with negative emotions related to their disease.

Keywords: Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory - psychology, Kidney Failure, Chronic - psychology, Demography, Cognition - physiology, Aging, Affect - physiology, Adaptation, Psychological, Quality of Life, Stress, Psychological - psychology