Distrust and paranoia among the hemodialysis population

Abstract

Trust is a central component of the relationship between patient and staff in the hemodialysis setting. Distrust and paranoia can impede the provision of care as well as interrupt the overall clinic milieu. In this study, the presence of distrust and paranoia in an in-center hemodialysis population was investigated. Of the patients in the sample, 39% believed that most people would take advantage of them if allowed to do so, and 21% reported finding it hard to trust their physicians. Overall, 17% reported it was safer to trust no one. Males reported higher levels of distrust. Slightly more than 1 in 10 patients had extremely elevated levels of distrust, which could be interpreted as being paranoid. It was noted that patients often had physical and mental conditions that commonly cause symptoms of paranoia.