Mental Health on Dialysis: Why All Patients Deserve More Support
July is BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Mental Health Month, a time created to honor the legacy of author and mental health advocate Bebe Moore Campbell and to raise awareness about the mental health barriers that Black, Indigenous, and people of color can face. Communities of color are disproportionately affected by kidney disease, and managing dialysis alongside longstanding gaps in mental health can be difficult.
The Mental Health Burden of Dialysis
Research published on NIH’s PubMed Central found that up to 40% of adults on maintenance dialysis have depression, five times the rate of the general population, and that delivery of mental health care for this population is, in the authors’ words, quite poor.
Social Workers Are Part of Your Care Team
At Innovative Renal Care (IRC) clinics, mental health is not a separate track from dialysis care. Social workers and care teams are embedded in our clinical model to address psychosocial needs as part of every patient’s plan. Mental health is part of your overall care. Your IRC care team can connect you with support. You do not have to manage it alone.
The Data Behind the Disparity
Black Americans develop kidney failure at three to four times the rate of white Americans. Mental Health America reports that only 31% of Black adults with a mental health condition receive treatment each year, compared to 48% of white adults.
At Innovative Renal Care, delivering more tomorrows to our patients, their families, and friends means addressing the whole patient, regardless of background.
Sources: Racial Disparities in Kidney Disease Outcomes, NIH/PMC: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3983362/
Depression Screening and Clinical Outcomes Among Adults Initiating Maintenance Hemodialysis, PMC/NIH: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8690052/
Mental Health America, BIPOC Mental Health Month: https://mhanational.org/bipoc-mental-health/bipoc-mental-health-month/
Why Innovative Renal Care
At Innovative Renal Care, we are committed to delivering a dialysis experience that goes beyond the treatment itself. As a physician-partnered and nurse-led organization, our focus is on collaboration, innovation, and data driven care.
Learn more about our ongoing commitment to deliver more tomorrows to our patients, their families, and friends.
