Background: Chronic glomerulonephritis typically follows a prolonged and often unpredictable course, and its impact on patients extends beyond changes in routinely monitored clinical and laboratory parameters. The demands of adjusting to the diagnosis, treatment regimen, and restrictions in daily life, together with uncertainty about disease progression, may be associated with psychological distress and sleep disturbance. Although these problems often remain outside the scope of routine nephrology follow-up, they may substantially affect quality of life.
Aim: To assess the frequency of selected patient-reported manifestations of psychological distress in patients with biopsy-confirmed chronic glomerulonephritis.
Materials and Methods: This single-center cross-sectional study prospectively enrolled 37 hospitalized adults with biopsy-confirmed chronic glomerulonephritis. Data were collected using a structured, study-specific questionnaire informed by internationally validated psychometric instruments, including the WHO-5, PHQ-9, GAD-7, SNRS-11, BRCS, and OSSS-3. Responses to six prespecified statements were recorded on a five-point Likert scale. Ratings of 4 and 5 were classified as agreement; analyses were descriptive, and no diagnostic cutoffs were applied.
Results: Among the 37 patients, 26 (70.3%) reported difficulty coping with personal or health-related problems during the previous month. Sleep disturbance attributed to tension or anxiety was reported by 20 patients (54.1%), while 16 (43.2%) reported frequent tension and worry in daily life. Unexplained fear or worry, persistent tension even in calm settings, and a perceived lack of control over important life circumstances were reported less frequently (16.2–27.0%).
Conclusion: These findings highlight the need to consider psychosocial aspects alongside clinical and laboratory parameters during the follow-up of patients with chronic glomerulonephritis. Systematic assessment of these aspects may provide a more comprehensive understanding of patients’ overall health and individual needs, thereby supporting an integrated approach to nephrology care.
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