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World J Psychiatry. Sep 19, 2026; 16(9): 119511
Published online Sep 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.119511
Published online Sep 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.119511
Impact of narrative support on stigma, anxiety, and depression in young and middle-aged patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis
Wen-Li Xu, Yue Wang, Xing-Ju Yang, Department of Nursing, People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 271100, Shandong Province, China
Lin Zhu, Xin Zhang, Yong-Shun Tan, Hemodialysis Room, People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 271100, Shandong Province, China
Pei-Pei Peng, Department of Psychiatry, Laiwu Central Hospital of Shandong Yiyang Health Group, Jinan 250013, Shandong Province, China
Author contributions: Xu WL was responsible for writing the paper; Wang Y was responsible for analyzing the statistical data; Zhu L and Zhang X collected materials; Tan YS and Peng PP were responsible for providing clinical advice; Yang XJ was responsible for researching, designing, and developing the intervention plans; and all the authors have approved the manuscript.
Supported by Jinan Municipal Health Commission’s 2024 Science and Technology Development Plan Development Project, No. 2024305010.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Jinan City People’s Hospital, approval No. 2024yxkt-6.
Informed consent statement: The informed consent was waived by the Institutional Review Board.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: The data used in this study can be obtained from the corresponding author upon request.
Corresponding author: Xing-Ju Yang, Chief Nurse, Department of Nursing, People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No. 001 Xuehu Street, Laiwu District, Jinan 271100, Shandong Province, China. doc_yangxingjv@163.com
Received: March 25, 2026
Revised: April 28, 2026
Accepted: June 3, 2026
Published online: September 19, 2026
Processing time: 151 Days and 20.4 Hours
Revised: April 28, 2026
Accepted: June 3, 2026
Published online: September 19, 2026
Processing time: 151 Days and 20.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Structured narrative support significantly reduces stigma, anxiety, and depression in young and middle-aged hemodialysis patients. It also improves treatment adherence, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life. This patient-centered approach helps patients reframe their illness experiences through guided storytelling, offering an effective strategy to address the psychosocial challenges of long-term dialysis. Narrative support is a valuable complement to the standard clinical care.