The Role of Psychosomatic Medicine in Psychonephrology

Abstract

Psychonephrology is a study that deals with the common parts of nephrology and psychosomatic medicine, psychiatry, psychology and renal failure nursing. Psychonephrology covers the following areas : (1) Mental care for patients with chronic kidney disease, (2) Mental health of staff involved in renal replacement therapy, (3) Decision support for renal replacement therapy for patients with chronic kidney disease, (4) Non-cancer palliative care and (5) Mental illness and psychiatric symptoms in the medical treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease has a psychosomatic aspect in which psycho-social factors are strongly related to its course, and a psychosomatic approach is useful. There is a psychology of “subject loss” as the background to chronic kidney disease patients leading to renal replacement therapy. In addition, it may lead to depression, anxiety, non-adherence of treatment, etc., and it is expected that there will be a psychosomatic physician who can continue to be involved throughout the treatment of chronic kidney disease.