Developing depression screening for South Asian ESRD patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Developing depression screening tools to meet the linguistic needs of patients with ESRD from South Asian backgrounds
IRAS ID
133574
Contact name
Ken Farrington
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
Research summary
The treatment for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is taxing for patients. It requires them to endure dialysis alongside medication and, restricted dietary and fluid intake. Unsurprisingly, depressive symptoms are common in renal patients and have been associated with negative outcomes such as early death. Consequently, several attempts have been made to improve depression screening and diagnosis resulting in emerging studies on suitable interventions. However, much of what is known about depression in ESRD has been gleaned from research with patients from white English speaking backgrounds.
In the UK, people of South Asian origin (i.e. originating from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) have a much higher risk of developing ESRD. Whether or not South Asian patients also experience high rates of depressive symptoms is unclear due to a lack of knowledge on culturally appropriate screening and diagnosis, in addition to language barriers that often prevent clinicians from exploring the concerns of patients. This means that South Asians are often excluded from research that addresses the psychological impact of living with ESRD and so prevents equal access to care.
This project aims to undertake focus groups with South Asian patients with ESRD whose mode of communication is primarily or exclusively in Gujarati, Punjabi or Urdu with the aim of exploring how different South Asian sub-groups understand and experience distress. Additionally, we will also involve patients in translations of an English language, self-completion depression screening tool.
The research will be based across 4 renal services where South Asian patients are dominant. Outcomes will result in better understanding of distress in this patient group and allow future research to explore the feasibility of using the translated screening tool to improve identification of symptoms and access to support.
REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/1078
Date of REC Opinion
9 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion