How Accurate is Depression Screening in Home Dialysis?

No depression instruments have been evaluated for accuracy with patients who do home dialysis or receive transplants. Data from 203 patients using various kidney replacement modalities completed three different depression assessments to see which was most efficient for clinical use. Of the participants, 18.2% met depression criteria. The commonly-used Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition (BDI-II) and Beck Fast Screen (BDI-FS) exceeded 90% sensitivity and negative prediction for home therapies using modality-specific thressholds. A third tool, the Depression Subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) had lower sensitivity and home dialysis patients (70%) and those with transplants (86.7%).

Read the abstract » | (added 02-17-2026)