PSYCHOSOCIAL ADAPTATION AND LONG-TERM OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING PERITONEAL DIALYSIS: DETERMINANTS OF QUALITY OF LIFE AND TREATMENT SUSTAINABILITY

Chronic kidney disease represents a progressive and irreversible decline in renal function that affects millions of individuals worldwide and constitutes a major public health burden. As kidney function deteriorates to the stage defined as end-stage renal disease, patients require renal replacement therapy to survive. Traditionally, in-center hemodialysis has been the dominant modality; however, over the past decades, peritoneal dialysis has emerged as a viable and, in many cases, advantageous alternative. Peritoneal dialysis offers greater flexibility, home-based management, and increased autonomy, which may profoundly influence patients’ physical, psychological, and social well-being. Despite these potential advantages, the lived experience of individuals undergoing long-term peritoneal dialysis remains complex and multifaceted.