Illness Perception and Hopelessness in Hemodialysis

Background: Illness perception is useful in understanding the impact of hopelessness on ESRD patients. This perception has been found to be an important determinant of behavior and has been associated with a number of important outcomes such as treatment adherence and functional recovery and quality of life. Aim: The aims of this study were to determine, the level of hopelessness and to evaluate whether illness perception is related to hopelessness among End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients on hemodialysis (HD).