Dialysis psychology program improved positive feelings but did not clearly reduce depression
A brief positive psychology program added bedside interviews and home exercises to usual support. Benefits were selective across the emotional and self-management outcomes studied.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The program improved positive feelings and selected self-management behaviors in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis. It did not show statistically significant effects on negative feelings, depressive symptoms, or growth following difficult experiences. Those differing results matter: improvement in positive affect alone does not demonstrate improvement across the broader mental-health outcomes the trial measured.
The abstract gives no effect sizes, confidence intervals, or results separated by assessment time. That limits judgments about the size and persistence of benefits and about the uncertainty around the nonsignificant outcomes.
What the added program involved
Participants receiving the added program had weekly bedside interviews and exercises to do at home. Both groups received psychological nursing care and health messages, allowing the trial to examine the additional program's effects.
Self-management and emotional outcomes
Dietary management and participation in physical and psychosocial activities were better in the intervention group. These self-management findings accompanied improved positive feelings, while several other psychological outcomes showed no statistically significant intervention effects.
The original publication
Positive living with dialysis: The effect of a positive psychology intervention in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis.
Liu J, Liu J, Wang R et al.
Appl Psychol Health Well Being · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40994117
- Record checked
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