Improving Illness Acceptance and Reducing Stress in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Receiving Hemodialysis

Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology Vol.8 Issue.1

Doi:10.35365/ctjpp.26.1.04

RESEARCH ARTICLE / ARAŞTIRMA YAZISI

Improving Illness Acceptance and Reducing Stress in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Receiving Hemodialysis

Kronik Böbrek Hastalığı Olan Hemodiyaliz Hastalarında Stresi Azaltmak İçin Gestalt Grup Terapisi Kullanarak Hastalık Kabulünü İyileştirmek

Muhamad Salis Yuniardi¹ , Khairil Ashran Triana² , Nurul Husna² 

Abstract:

Adapting to the routine of hemodialysis following kidney failure is often accompanied by stress, which can worsen both the physical condition and mental health of patients. The Gestalt method facilitates self-recognition and self-acceptance, prompting healthier emotional adjustment. Illness acceptance, as a component of self-acceptance, contributes to stress reduction. Furthermore, group therapy provides patients with social support, which can enhance the process of illness acceptance. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Gestalt group therapy in improving illness acceptance and reducing stress among patients with chronic kidney disease receiving hemodialysis. The method adopted was a pre-test post-test control group design. A total of 15 patients were screened voluntarily and completed the Chronic Illness Acceptance Questionnaire (CIAQ; Cronbach alpha = 0.861) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10; Cronbach alpha = 0.814). Only eight reported low illness acceptance and high stress levels. These patients were recruited and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental groups received treatment during and after the experiment, respectively. The results of the Wilcoxon test showed that Gestalt group therapy significantly improved illness acceptance (p = 0.046) and reduced stress levels (p = 0.046). Through this process, patients became more aware of their condition, leading to greater engagement in daily activities and reduced perceived stress.

Keywords: Gestalt Group Therapy, Illness Acceptance, Stress, Chronic Kidney Disease, Hemodialysis.

¹University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Faculty of Psychology, Postgraduate School of Psychology, Malang, Jawa Timur, Indonesia.

²University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Faculty of Psychology, Magister Psychologist Department, Malang, Jawa Timur, Indonesia.

Address of Correspondence/Yazışma Adresi: Muhamad Salis Yuniadi, University of Muhammadiyah Malang; Jl. Raya Tlogomas No: 246 Malang, Jawa Timur, Indonesia, post code: 65144; E-mail: [email protected]

Date of Received/Geliş Tarihi: 03.03.2025, Date of Revision/Düzeltme Tarihi: 25.07.2025, Date of Acceptance/Kabul Tarihi: 26.12.2025, Date of Online Publication/Çevirimiçi Yayın Tarihi: 25.03.2026

Citing/Referans Gösterimi: Yuniardi, M. S., Triana, K. A. & Husna, N. (2026). Improving Illness Acceptance and Reducing Stress in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Receiving Hemodialysis. Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology, 8(1), 28-33, Doi: 10.35365/ctjpp.26.1.04.

© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Cyprus Mental Health Institute / Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry and Psychology (www.ktppdergisi.com). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/