Death Anxiety in Hemodialysis Patients before and during the Outbreak of COVID-19: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Objective: To study the occurrence of death anxiety among hemodialysis patients before and during COVID-19.Study Design: Longitudinal study.Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out from November 2019 to May 2020 at Pakistan KidneyPatients Association, Rawalpindi.Materials and Methods: Data was collected, with formal written consent,from hemodialysis patients, throughconvenient sampling technique in two phases. In phase I, pre COVID 19 pandemic period data of 110 subjectsand inphase II, COVID 19 pandemic era, data of 83 subjectswerecollected. Demographic variablesand deathanxiety scale were used for descriptive analysis.Results: The study results have shown that patients, in the pre pandemic period, had mild level of death anxiety,despite having comorbid chronic illnesses like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, depression and hepatitis.However, during COVID 19 pandemic death anxiety experienced among the participants, ranged between mildto severe level.Conclusion: The surge in new cases of COVID-19 and deaths, together with the barrage of information to whichpopulation is submitted through media, care takers and doctors has influenced the mentality of patients,resulting into variation in death anxiety among hemodialysis patients. It is concluded that occurrence of deathanxiety before and during COVID -19 influence the mental health of patients.