Mental health and kidney disease

Multiple long-term conditions, and particularly mental health conditions, are common in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Some mental health conditions increase the risk of developing CKD, contribute to faster disease progression, and complicate care experiences and outcomes. Depression and anxiety are particularly prevalent and are associated with reduced quality of life, unplanned service use and poorer clinical outcomes. The manner in which depression and anxiety are detected and managed as part of routine kidney care can vary widely. Evidence for effective and acceptable treatments is mixed overall, although meta-analyses highlight the benefits of physical activity and cognitive behavioural therapy. Data on the use of antidepressants in people with CKD are also variable, limited by the lack of robust clinical trials. People with particularly complex needs, such as those with severe mental illness and CKD, have markedly shorter lifespans and higher rates of emergency hospitalizations than those without severe mental illness and are also less likely to access specialist nephrology care and to receive a transplantation. Health inequalities are amplified for those contending with wider disadvantages related to social and structural determinants of health. Reducing the burden of mental health in people with CKD is an urgent priority to alleviate personal and health system impacts. Here, we examine current evidence on mental health and CKD to inform policy and research and to support advances in prevention and management approaches.