Sexual functioning in chronic kidney disease: the association with depression and anxiety

Abstract

Sexual functioning is composed of both physiological and psychological factors among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the role of depression and anxiety has not yet been studied extensively. This study aimed to investigate the relation of depressive and anxiety symptoms to sexual functioning among hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis patients. A sample of 144 patients was recruited from three general hospitals in the broader area of Athens, consisting of 84 patients undergoing in-center HD and 60 patients in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. Measurements were conducted with the following instruments: the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI 1/STAI 2), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. The results indicated that satisfaction about sexual life had negative association with all the subscales of GHQ-28 questionnaire (somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, severe depression). Sexual functioning was also related negatively to depression as well as state and trait anxieties. Findings provide evidence that the presence of depressive and anxiety symptoms relates significantly to the negative evaluation of sexual functioning in patients with CKD.