Abstract:

Introduction: 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.

Objective: 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.

Methods: 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: 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.

Conclusion : 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.

Keywords: Coping processes, Quality of life, Stress