THE SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTIC, SOCIAL SUPPORT SOURCES OF THE HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS AND EFFECT OF ILLNESS PROCESS ON SELF-ESTEEM

Hemodialysis treatment results in various kind of physical, psychological and social problems although it extends life time. This research has been carried out in order to determine the effects of sociodemographic characteristics and various types of social support on self esteem of the patients with chronic renal failure. The research was conducted on 117 hemodialysis patients who regularly have hemodialysis treatment at the hospitals of Etlik İhtisas, Yüksek İhtisas and Atatürk Education and Research. Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and the questionnaire were used to collect the data. As a result of this research any significant difference between self-esteem and hemodialysis patients’ age, sex, family structure, marital status, the type of the house has not been found out; however significant difference between self-esteem and hemodialysis patients’ education, income, social security, house-ownership has been determined. The self-esteem score of the hemodialysis patients who have emphatic and material social support are significantly higher than the ones who have not that kind of social support. The research results show that any significant difference between reassurance, tangible and informational social support has not been found out. According to the results of the research it is determined that hemodialysis patients need social work intervention.