Self-perceived cognition and psychological well-being in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing maintenance haemodialysis

Cognitive and psychological difficulties are frequently reported by patients undergoing haemodialysis, yet these experiences are rarely explored within routine clinical assessments. The aim of this study was to examine self-perceived cognition and psychological well-being as patient-reported outcomes in adults with chronic kidney disease undergoing maintenance haemodialysis, and to explore the relationships between these outcomes and sociodemographic, clinical, and biochemical variables. Adults receiving maintenance haemodialysis were recruited from a hospital-based dialysis unit as part of the GoodRENal project, which focuses on developing educational approaches for people on haemodialysis. Participants completed self-report measures assessing perceived cognitive functioning and psychological well-being. Sociodemographic, clinical, and biochemical data routinely collected in dialysis care were obtained from medical records. Associations were examined between self-perceived cognition, psychological well-being, and the available data. Seventy-eight patients took part in the study. Perceived cognitive difficulties were more closely related to indicators of kidney disease severity and metabolic imbalance, whereas psychological well-being showed stronger associations with social and emotional factors. The patients' subjective experiences could not be fully explained by objective clinical indicators alone, suggesting a gap between physiological measures and patient-reported outcomes. Self-perceived cognition and psychological well-being provide clinically relevant information that could complement routine clinical indicators in haemodialysis care.