THE EFFECT OF A GRATITUDE JOURNAL ON DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING HEMODIALYSIS AT ARIFIN ACHMAD REGIONAL HOSPITAL, RIAU PROVINCE

Abstract

Patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis often experience depression due to physical limitations, changes in self-perception and dependence on long-term medical procedures, untreated depression will have an impact on patient quality of life and compliance with treatment. One psychosocial intervention that improves emotional well-being and reduces depression scale is Gratitude Journal. This study aims to analyze the effect of gratitude journal in reducing the level of depression in patients undergoing hemodialysis at Arifin Achmad Hospital, Riau Province. This type of research is a quantitative study with a Quasy Experiment design with a pre test and post test approach without a control group. The sample of this study was 41 patients undergoing hemodialysis selected by purposive sampling by observing the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The intervention in the form of gratitude journal writing activities was carried out once a day for five consecutive days. The level of depression was measured using the Back Depression Inventory (BDI- II) questionnaire to measure depression scale. Data were analyzed univariately and bivariate data were tested with the Wilcoxon signed rank statistical test. The results of the statistical test showed that there was a difference in depression scale scores before and after writing a gratitude journal with a value of Z = -5.593 and p-value = <0.001 which means less than 0.05 which means H0 is rejected, so it can be concluded that there is an effect on the application of gratitude journal in reducing the level of depression in patients undergoing hemodialysis, there is a difference in depression scores before and after being given the gratitude journal intervention. It is hoped that the results of this study can be a reference for respondents to use Gratitude Journal writing therapy to reduce depression in patients undergoing hemodialysis.