Serenity therapy reduces symptoms and improves coping in geriatric hemodialysis patients

A single-center randomized controlled trial in Egypt evaluated serenity therapy in 80 geriatric patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis. The intervention was administered over five months, though the specific comparator was not reported. The study assessed psychosocial outcomes including hemodialysis symptoms (occurrence, frequency, severity, distress), coping styles, and emotional regulation.

Results showed statistically significant reductions in hemodialysis symptoms (P < 0.05) and improvements in both coping strategies and emotional regulation (both P < 0.05). However, the study did not report effect sizes, confidence intervals, or absolute numerical changes for these outcomes. The RCT design suggests causal inference is possible for these measured psychosocial outcomes within the study context.

Safety and tolerability data were not reported, including adverse events, serious adverse events, or discontinuation rates. Key limitations include the single-center setting in Egypt, unspecified comparator, and lack of reported effect magnitude. The study did not assess clinical endpoints like survival or hospitalization.

Practice relevance is restrained to suggesting serenity therapy may be a component of psychosocial support for geriatric hemodialysis patients, but evidence is preliminary. Clinicians should note the lack of comparison to other supportive therapies and the absence of safety data before considering implementation.