The Correlation Between The Hopelessness Level and Self-Care Agency in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis Treatment

Abstract

Background: Conditions of hemodialysis patients such as experiencing treatment-related nausea-vomiting and fatigue symptoms, being dependent on a machine to survive, and impaired body image due to dialysis catheter increase their hopelessness level. If the level of hopelessness increases in hemodialysis patients, self-care power may be adversely affected. Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between hopelessness level and self-care agency in patient receiving hemodialysis treatment. Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was carried out with 69 hemodialysis patients receiving treatment in the hemodialysis unit of a university hospital between February – October 2020. The data of the study were collected with Patient Information Form, Beck Hopelessness Scale, and The Self-Care Agency Scale (SCAS). In the statistical evaluation of the data, Mann Whitney-U Test, Kruskal Wallis Test, and Spearman Correlation analysis were used. Results: It was determined that the mean age of the patients included in the study was 57.60±11.60 and the average duration of hemodialysis treatment was 4.07±2.83 years. The patients were undergoing hemodialysis 2.90±0.40 days a week and 7.04±3.80 hours a week. The hopelessness mean scores of patients undergoing hemodialysis was 9.91±5.26 and self-care agency mean scores were 28.84±5.60. There was a negative and significant correlation between the patients’ hopelessness level and their self-care agency (r = -, 353, p © 2026, Dokuz Eylul University. All rights reserved.