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. 2025 Sep 4:18:3249-3258.
doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S539308. eCollection 2025.

Varying Psychological Stress Among Rwandan Patients with Chronic Diseases

Abdullateef Isiaka Alagbonsi  1 , Clothilde Manishimwe #  2 , Muhirwa Serge #  2 , Divine Aimee Agahozo #  2 , Shema Tito #  2
Affiliations

Varying Psychological Stress Among Rwandan Patients with Chronic Diseases

Abdullateef Isiaka Alagbonsi et al. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. .

Abstract

Background: While psychological stress cannot be dissociated from chronic diseases, the extent to which it impacts the management of chronic diseases is poorly understood. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence and impact of psychological stress among Rwandan patients with chronic diseases, particularly hypertension, heart failure, malignancies, diabetes, and kidney failure.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among internal medicine patients receiving treatment for chronic diseases at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (n = 81) and the University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB) (n = 78) between May 1 and June 30, 2024.

Results: There was a very high prevalence of psychological stress (91.8%) among Rwandan patients with various forms of chronic diseases. Despite the regular monitoring of their disease progression by their healthcare providers (92.4%) and compliance with their medication (89.9%) and dietary (89.3%) regimens, many of them still experienced frequent complications (96.8%) and worsening outcomes (95.5%), though there was an improvement in symptoms (94.3%). Furthermore, there was a weak relationship (r = 0.210, ρ = 0.000) between the severity of psychological stress experienced by patients with chronic diseases and their treatment outcomes. Finally, patients with heart failure (p<0.001), hypertension (p<0.001), diabetes (p<0.001), and malignancies (p<0.001) experienced higher levels of psychological stress.

Conclusion: Hypertension, heart failure, malignancies, and diabetes, but not kidney failure, predict psychological stress among Rwandan patients.

Keywords: diabetes; heart failure; hypertension; kidney failure; malignancy; psychological stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

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