Prevalence of Major Depressive Symptoms among Iraqi Chronic Renal Failure Patients Undergoing Regular Hemodialysis: A Cross-Sectional Study

End-stage renal disease patients undergoing routine hemodialysis procedures are at high risk of mental health deterioration including depression. The objective of the current study is to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Iraqi hemodialysis patient and their association with sociodemographic factors. A cross-sectional multi-center study was conducted at 5 major hemodialysis centers in Iraq from July to December 2023. PHQ-8 scale was applied to assess depression among study participants using a cut-off score of 10 to determine the presence of depression. Chi-squared and logistic regressions were performed to investigate the association between the presence of depression and other sociodemographic data. A total of 341 chronic renal failure patients undergoing hemodialysis were included. The sample comprised 211 (61.9%) males and 130 (38.1%) females, with age groups represented as follows: 244 (71.6%) adults and 97 (28.4%) elderly. Hemodialysis frequency included 157 (46.0%) once a week, 97 (28.4%) twice a week, and 87 (25.5%) thrice a week. Work problems due to hemodialysis were reported by 122 (35.8%) participants, while financial issues, side effects, and negative hepatitis tests were prevalent among the majority 269 (78.9%), 302 (88.6%), and 286 (83.9%) respectively. Different age groups experience adverse effects and negative hepatitis showed a significant association with the presence of depression (> 10 PHQ-8 score) in both chi-square and binary logistic regression tests (<img src=image/17639772_01.gif> < 0.05). The prevalence of depression among hemodialysis patients is higher than the global average. Elderly patients and coexistence of side effects showed a higher depression level, while, interestingly, depression seems lower in hepatitis-positive patients in the current study sample. Iraqi hemodialysis patients would benefit from mental health support, and further experimental studies are needed to comprehend the multifactorial causes of depression for such patients.