Psychological Treatment Options for Patients with Mild to Moderate Depression Undergoing Hemodialysis: TCM-Related Emotion-Thought Therapy.

Objective: To assess the effect of Chinese medicine affective therapy on psychotherapy for mild to moderate depression in hemodialysis patients, and to provide a reference basis for clinical practice.

Methods: Clinical data (January 2021-January 2023) from the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into control (routine care) and observation (routine care + Chinese medicine affective therapy) groups. The data of anxiety self-assessment scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), general well-being scale (GWB) and Health Questionnaire (SF-36) were compared between the two groups.

Results: PSM matched 80 patients each in observation and control groups, showing no significant baseline differences. Pre-care scores (SAS, SDS, PSQI, GWB, SF-36) had no notable discrepancies (P > .05). Post-care, SAS, SDS, PSQI were lower in the observation group (P < .05), while GWB and SF-36 scores were higher (P < .001). The SAS, SDS, and PSQI scores were lower in the observation group relative to the control group after care (All P-values were < .05), whereas the GWB and SF-36 score scores of the observation group were higher than those of the control group (All P-values were < .05).

Conclusion: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) affective therapy may be able to improve the quality of sleep, quality of life, and general well-being of hemodialysis patients with mild-to-moderate depression, as well as alleviate the patients' adverse emotions.