Renal Psychology
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) can have a major impact on someone’s life. The Renal Psychology Service at St. Vincent’s University Hospital is dedicated to supporting patients’ emotional health as well as physical health, and specialises in helping people cope with and adjust to their kidney disease and its treatment.
What can the Renal Psychology Service help with?
People attend the Renal Psychology Service for lots of different reasons but some of the most common ones include:
- Adjusting to your diagnosis and the changes and losses it might have brought
- Talking through important treatment decisions
- Tackling lifestyle changes as part of your medical care
- Worries or fears about the future in relation to your kidney disease
- Learning new skills and techniques to manage the impact of your kidney condition on your mood, e.g. feeling down or anxious
- Getting used to life on dialysis or with a transplant
- Living with uncertainty
- Coping with the effects of kidney disease on relationships or sexual intimacy
- Communicating with others about your renal condition or treatment
- Worries about your illness getting worse or your transplant failing
- Coping with side effects of treatment, such as fatigue
- Work and family concerns
- Coping with long hospital admissions or post-operative complications
- Handling feelings of low self-esteem, such as feeling useless or a burden on others
Who would I see?
You would be seen by a clinical psychologist who can offer support in the form of talking therapy, practical help and the chance to discuss concerns related to your renal condition and journey. Psychologists are not the same as medical doctors and do not prescribe medicine, diagnose conditions or admit people into hospital.
If your problem is not directly related to your kidney disease, we may be able to help you find appropriate support in your local area (e.g. if the issue is related to grief/bereavement, separation/divorce, work-related stress, etc.).
Who is this service available for?
This service is available to any public patient diagnosed with kidney disease who is under the care of a renal consultant at St. Vincent’s University Hospital. This includes any patient who receives their care at satellite units belonging to the service e.g. Beacon South Quarter, Sandyford.
You can avail of this service at any stage of your kidney disease and treatment, including before dialysis and after transplant. The service is free and is considered part of your multi-disciplinary care.
How can I access the service?
If you feel that you might benefit from talking to a psychologist, please let a member of your renal team know. They will help you to decide if this is the most appropriate service for you and any staff member in the renal department can complete a referral form on your behalf. A referral will only be made with your agreement.
What happens after I have been referred?
Patients referred to the Renal Psychology Service are offered an initial consultation appointment as soon as possible, generally within 6 weeks. The initial consultation appointment is an opportunity to discuss the patient’s current concerns and agree what type of support would be the most helpful. The type of support recommended to each patient is determined on the basis of their specific needs as well as patient preferences. This may include group-based or individual interventions.
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Helpful Resources
Irish Kidney Association Counselling Service
The IKA provides a free, comprehensive and confidential counselling service for those diagnosed with kidney disease, their family members and carers.
Irish Kidney Association Peer Support Service
Many people who face challenges find it helpful to talk with someone who is or has been in a similar situation. Peer support can provide you with many benefits including:
- Being able to talk to someone who has had to cope with similar experiences and understands the challenges you are facing
- Sharing common experiences
- Sharing information, learning and practical experiences
- Helping you to feel greater confidence in taking control of managing your kidney disease
- Get a better understanding of your treatment and treatment options
- Reassurance that you are not alone
Diary of a Kidney Warrior Podcast
https://kidneycareuk.org/get-support/podcast/
Diary of a Kidney Warrior is a podcast created in partnership with Kidney Care UK, hosted by a woman called Dee Moore (who is a kidney disease patient herself). The interviews in the podcast are intimate and informative, and each episode explores different aspects of kidney disease. It also aims to be encouraging and uplifting. Whether you live with kidney disease, or a family or friend does, this podcast will help you learn more.
Living Well Programme
Living Well is a free programme run by the HSE that focuses on self-management of chronic conditions. The Irish Kidney Association run a kidney-specific version of this programme. There are both online and in-person versions available. The programme runs for 6 weeks, 2.5 hour workshop each week. The workshops are delivered in a very relaxed and friendly way, and includes things like
- Recognising and dealing with symptoms
- Taking medication and managing other treatments
- Making lifestyle changes
- Coping with the emotional effects of the health condition
To register online with the IKA Living Well Programme, please visit https://ika.ie/livingwell/
To register with the generic HSE Living Well Programme, please visit https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/healthwellbeing/selfmanagement/living-well-programme/
Kidney Beam
Kidney Beam is a free online platform that was created specifically for people living with kidney disease and their families to help them manage their physical and emotional well-being. It’s currently free for all Irish patients to use thanks to the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund. It offers movement and fitness classes, and emotional wellbeing sessions.
Register here: https://www.beamfeelgood.com/kidney-disease
Beaumont Hospital Kidney Centre
http://www.beaumont.ie/kidneycentre-home
Beaumont Hospital Kidney Centre has developed several helpful patient guides, including a guide to kidney disease, a guide to kidney transplantation, and a guide to dialysis. These guides are a mixture of written material and videos.
Your Emotions and Chronic Kidney Disease
https://www.davita.com/education/ckd-life/support/your-emotions-and-chronic-kidney-disease-ckd