title: Effects of 6-times-weekly versus 3-times-weekly hemodialysis on depressive symptoms and self-reported mental health: Frequent Hemodialysis Network (FHN) Trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis frequently exhibit poor mental health. We studied the effects of frequent in-center and nocturnal hemodialysis on depressive symptoms and self-reported mental health.
  
  
  METHODS
  1-year randomized controlled clinical trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hemodialysis centers in the United States and Canada. 332 patients were randomly assigned to frequent (6-times-weekly) compared with conventional (3-times-weekly) hemodialysis in the Frequent Hemodialysis Network (FHN) Daily (n = 245) and Nocturnal (n = 87) Trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Daily Trial was a trial of frequent (6-times-weekly) compared with conventional (3-times-weekly) in-center hemodialysis. The Nocturnal Trial assigned patients to either frequent nocturnal (6-times-weekly) hemodialysis or conventional (3-times-weekly) hemodialysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Self-reported depressive symptoms and mental health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Beck Depression Inventory and the mental health composite score and emotional subscale of the RAND 36-Item Health Survey at baseline and 4 and 12 months. The mental health composite score is derived by summarizing these domains of the RAND 36-Item Health Survey: emotional, role emotional, energy/fatigue, and social functioning scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the Daily Trial, participants randomly assigned to frequent compared with conventional in-center hemodialysis showed no significant change over 12 months in adjusted mean Beck Depression Inventory score (-1.9 ± 0.7 vs -0.6 ± 0.7; P = 0.2), but experienced clinically significant improvements in adjusted mean mental health composite (3.7 ± 0.9 vs 0.2 ± 1.0; P = 0.007) and emotional subscale (5.2 ± 1.6 vs -0.3 ± 1.7; P = 0.01) scores. In the Nocturnal Trial, there were no significant changes in the same metrics in participants randomly assigned to nocturnal compared with conventional hemodialysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trial interventions were not blinded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frequent in-center hemodialysis, as compared with conventional in-center hemodialysis, improved self-reported general mental health. Changes in self-reported depressive symptoms were not statistically significant. We were unable to conclude whether nocturnal hemodialysis yielded similar effects.
authors: Division of Nephrology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. mlunruh@salud.unm.edu
authors: Mark L
authors: ML
authors: Unruh
authors: Brett
authors: B
authors: Larive
authors: Glenn M
authors: GM
authors: Chertow
authors: Paul W
authors: PW
authors: Eggers
authors: Amit X
authors: AX
authors: Garg
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Gassman
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Tarallo
authors: Fredric O
authors: FO
authors: Finkelstein
authors: Paul L
authors: PL
authors: Kimmel
mesh_terms: D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology