Coping Mediates the Link between Social Support and Depression in Patients with ADPKD on Dialysis: Acceptance Helps and Planning is Harmful

Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) accounts for 10% of patients on dialysis and leads to a complete life transformation, as patients suffer from pain, fatigue, and isolation. With 22% of ADPKD patients experiencing depression, this study hoped to unveil specific coping strategies that mediate the link between patients’ sources of social support and levels of depression (Simms et al., 2016). Online survey data was collected with a sample of ADPKD adults (N= 81, 67.9% female), administering measures that capture social support (SS), coping strategies (CS), and depression. Mediation analyses revealed that the relationship between three types of social support (e.g., family, friends, and significant others) and depression, were significantly mediated by two types of coping strategies: acceptance (p < 0.05 - 0.01) and planning (p < 0.001). More specifically, acceptance coping partially mediated the link between the social support of family and significant others and depression, whereas acceptance coping demonstrated a trend towards partial mediation in the link between friends’ social support and depression, with acceptance mitigating depression. Interestingly, utilizing planning coping masked the link between familial social support and depression, such that planning increased depression. Taken together, ADPKD patients who learn to accept their diagnosis are less depressed, while those who plan ahead experience greater depression.