A survey by Kidney Research UK found a high prevalence of psychological distress among kidney patients.

Now the charity is calling for urgent action to improve access to specialist renal counsellors for anyone newly diagnosed with kidney disease.

Two-thirds (67%) of respondents to reported experiences of depression while 36% agreed that depression had a direct impact on their ability to take care of their physical health. 27% of respondents have considered self-harm or suicide as a result of their kidney disease.

Our member Beverley Mealor has twelve years鈥� experience as a specialist renal counsellor, and currently leads the small counselling team at Imperial College NHS Trust鈥檚 renal service in London.

Depression

Unsurprised by the high rates of depression among kidney patients reported in the survey, Beverley believes it鈥檚 vital specialist renal counselling should be accessible to everyone living with kidney disease.

Beverley said: 鈥淜idney disease can have a profound, traumatic and enduring impact on people鈥檚 lives, triggering issues related to identity, loss, relationships, control, body image low mood and anxiety.

鈥淔or many patients there is a long lead up to them requiring dialysis, whilst for others kidney failure happens suddenly and without warning, turning their life upside down in an instant.

鈥淎 specialist renal counsellor has an understanding of how kidney disease and its treatment affects many aspects of physical and mental wellbeing, so our clients don鈥檛 have to go through explanations of their condition and have confidence that their counsellor has an understanding of the hopes and fears that they bring into the therapy room.鈥�

Our member Beverley Mealor says it鈥檚 vital specialist renal counselling is accessible to everyone living with kidney disease.

Our member Beverley Mealor says it鈥檚 vital specialist renal counselling is accessible to everyone living with kidney disease.

Many of the service鈥檚 clients are older people whose contact with the specialist renal counsellor is their first experience of talking therapy, and Beverley notes that this can present challenges and opportunities.

鈥淚t鈥檚 vital that we鈥檙e flexible in the way we work with clients and that we allow them the time they need to comfortably engage with the counselling,鈥� she said.

鈥淭his might mean slightly more small-talk at the beginning of session than we鈥檇 expect with other clients, but it鈥檚 what鈥檚 needed to establish a trusting therapeutic relationship.

鈥淲e鈥檒l also work with whatever the client brings into the room. It鈥檚 not uncommon for a client to bring issues that are seemingly unrelated to kidney disease into their therapy, sometimes traumatic events or past experiences that are troubling them, but that we can work with to improve their emotional wellbeing.鈥�

Mental health support

Despite the close links between kidney disease and depression highlighted by the Kidney Research UK survey, 68% of respondents said that they hadn鈥檛 been offered any mental health support.

Alison Railton, head of policy and external affairs at Kidney Research UK, said: 鈥淜idney patients face huge challenges; their conditions can become worse over time and treatments designed to keep them alive can be physically gruelling to the point of exhaustion.

鈥淏ut nothing really prepares you for the harrowing personal accounts kidney patients have shared with us and the mental health struggles they experience throughout their journey.

鈥淲e cannot allow our community to struggle on in silence, which is why we鈥檙e calling on politicians to give all kidney patients access to specialist mental health support at the point of diagnosis.

鈥淲e often focus on the physical symptoms because they鈥檙e the most noticeable, but it鈥檚 vital we commit to transforming treatments to improve patients鈥� mental health as well.鈥�

Beverley is alarmed by the high numbers of respondents reporting that they have not been offered mental health support and said that increased provision of specialist renal counsellors is vital.

鈥淲e know from our own service that demand outweighs what we can immediately deliver鈥� she said. 鈥淓ven with an offer of six sessions, after which each client is reviewed and need for further sessions assessed, we鈥檙e running with a waiting list.

Counselling

鈥淭he figures from survey suggest that the service offered within our NHS Trust is not replicated across the country and that people are missing out on vital counselling support at a time in their lives when they need it most.鈥�

Kidney disease disproportionately affects people from marginalised and racialised community backgrounds who are known to experience barriers in accessing psychological support.

Kidney Research UK is inviting its members and supporters to contact their MPs to raise concern about the gaps in mental health support for people experiencing kidney disease and to call for every kidney patient to have access to a specialist renal counsellor at the time of their diagnosis.