THE EFFECT OF MEDITATION SUPPORT ON STRESS LEVELS AMONG PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE UNDERGOING HEMODIALYSIS
Nando Danung Priangga, Erna Erawati, Angga Sugiarto, Suharsono Suharsono
Journal of Advanced Nursing and Health Sciences. August 31, 2026 DOI: 10.34035/kn.v7i2.2115 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-experimental one-group pretest-posttest Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 36 |
| Population | Patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing routine hemodialysis |
| Intervention | Meditation support |
| Duration | Five-session intervention |
| Measures | Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | After a five-session meditation support intervention, the median stress score on the PSS-10 decreased from 20 to 12, with the proportion of participants experiencing mild stress rising from 5.6% to 88.9%. The reduction was statistically significant according to the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. |
Abstract
Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disease requiring lifelong hemodialysis. Patients undergoing hemodialysis frequently experience psychological stress due to long-term treatment, dependence on dialysis machines, lifestyle changes, and physical and emotional limitations. Unmanaged stress may reduce quality of life and treatment adherence. Meditation support has been recognized as a complementary nursing intervention to reduce stress by promoting relaxation and emotional regulation.
Methods: This study employed a quantitative pre-experimental design using a one-group pretest–posttest approach. A total of 36 patients with chronic kidney disease who were undergoing routine hemodialysis were selected through purposive sampling.
Results: Stress levels were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) before and after a five-session meditation support intervention. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. Before the intervention, 32 participants (88.9%) experienced moderate stress, 2 (5.6%) experienced mild stress, and 2 (5.6%) experienced severe stress. After the intervention, 32 participants (88.9%) experienced mild stress, while 4 participants (11.1%) remained in the moderate stress category. The median stress score decreased from 20 to 12. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test showed a statistically significant reduction in stress levels (Z = -5.239; p = 0.001). Meditation support significantly reduced stress levels among patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis.
Conclusion: Meditation support may be considered an effective complementary nursing intervention to enhance psychological support and holistic nursing care for patients undergoing hemodialysis, thereby improving their overall well-being.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |