Illness perception, self-esteem and self-care management of patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: A cross-sectional study from a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India

Background: Chronic diseases are those conditions that last for more than a year requiring ongoing medical attention and crippling the activities of daily living. End-stage kidney disease invites significant psychosocial stressors and demands routine adaptation. It cha­llenges the patient with a constant fear of death, draining them physically and mentally, making them depen­dent on the healthcare team and having to follow complicated pharmacological regimes with dietary limitations.
Objective: The study was intended to assess illness perception, self-esteem, and self-care management of patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.
Methodology: Using quantitative approach, a descriptive study was undertaken for a period of six weeks in Peritoneal Dialysis unit of the Artificial Kidney Lab (AK Lab) of Christian Medical College, Vellore. A total of 63 patients were selected using total enumeration sampling technique. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaires namely Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B–IPQ), Current thoughts scale and Questionnaire on self-care management.
Results: Most of the subject’s illness perception were moderately (42.86%) and severely affected (41.27%). On the whole, the subjects had higher self-esteem (mean = 71.49); however, the appearance self-esteem was rather low (19.67). All subjects had adequate self-care management.
Conclusion: Patients undergoing CAPD perceive their illness as a threat and they have low appearance self-esteem. On the basis of this finding, formulation of guidelines for psychological management of these patients would help them to develop coping skills.