Relationship between severity of stressor, coping mechanisms and quality of life ‎in hemodialysis patients of Razi hospital in Rasht.‎

Chronic hemodialysis patients are subjected to different stressors (physiological ‎and psychosocial) and use emotion – focused and problem – focused coping mechanisms that ‎can affect their quality of life.‎

This study has been performed in order to determine relationdship between ‎severity of stressors, coping mechanisms and quality of life in hemodialysis patients of Razi ‎hospital in Rasht, ‎‏2004‏‎.‎

In this descriptive – correlational study, ‎‏105‏‎ patients were selected by census. The ‎means for gathering data were ‎‏4‏‎ questionnaires including demographic data, hemodialysis ‎stressors scale, Jalowiec coping scale and Padilla etal’s quality of life index. These ‎questionnaires were completed by researcher through interview.

Results indicated that the mean of psychosocial stressors was higher than the mean ‎of physiological stressors (p<‎‏0.0001‏‎) and the mean of problem-focused coping was higher ‎than emotion – focused coping (p<‎‏0.0001‏‎). On the other hand the results showed that there ‎was a significant correlation between severity of stressors and emotion- focused coping ‎mechanisms (p<‎‏0.01‏‎) and between severity of stressors and quality of life (p<‎‏0.01‏‎). Also there ‎was a significant correlation between problem – focused coping mechanisms and quality of ‎life (p<‎‏0.01‏‎). Finally the results showed a significant positive correlation between the severity ‎of treatment – related stressors and emotion- focused coping mechanisms in regard to all of ‎demographic variables. There was a significant negative correlation between the severity of ‎stressors and problem-focused coping mechanisms in regard to age, marital status, and ‎sufficiency of income. Also there was a significant negative correlation between the severity ‎of stressors and quality of life in regard to all of demographic variables. On the other hand the ‎results showed a significant positive correlation between problem- focused coping mechanisms ‎and quality of life only in regard to age.

Nurses have important roles in promoting QOL by planning appropriate nursing ‎intervention in order to eliminate or reduce severity of hemodialysis related stressors and ‎support problem – focused coping.‎