Depression is often a problem with patients who experience a chronic condition, including those who receive kidney transplants. From other studies on chronic illnesses, self-efficacy and self-care behaviors have been considered to be potential determinants for depressive symptoms. However, none of these previous studies have investigated the relationships among these variables in kidney transplantation recipients. Weng and coworkers conducted a cross-sectional survey with 177 persons who had received a kidney transplant. A self-administrated questionnaire and a medical record audit were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using correlation and hierarchical linear regression methods. The average score of depressive symptoms was 8.61, SD 7.64. Among the participants in the study, 32.8% had scores of depressive symptoms higher than 11 (indicating mild to severe symptoms of depression). Self-efficacy and self-care behavior had direct effects on depressive symptoms. Self-care behavior had partial mediating effect on the relationship between self-efficacy and depression.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU: Depressive symptoms need to be addressed among kidney transplantation patients. Patients who have higher self-efficacy and higher self-care behavior had lower depressive symptoms. The authors concluded that their results support self-efficacy as the significant predictor of depressive symptoms. They suggested that they should design interventions that focus not only on the skill aspects of self-care behavior but also on those that have a strong connection with self-efficacy. We hope that they do so in their future research. The issue of depression should be considered by all investigators who work with chronic conditions.

LC Weng et al. Effects of self-efficacy, self-care behaviours on depressive symptom of Taiwanese kidney transplant recipients. Journal of Clinical Nursing, February 11, 2008.