International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

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 Volume 13, Issue 8 (August 2026), Pages: 155-163

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 Original Research Paper

Beyond the dialysis machine: Coping strategies in the acceptance journey of chronic kidney disease patients

 Author(s): 

Zulfa Zahra 1, Elmeida Effendy 2, *, Marty Mawarpury 3, Marthoenis Marthoenis 4

 Affiliation(s):

1Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
2Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
3Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
4Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9382-3609

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.08.015

 Abstract

Newly diagnosed patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often face significant challenges in adapting to lifelong hemodialysis therapy. Coping mechanisms play an important role in helping patients accept their illness; however, limited research has explored the lived experiences of Indonesian patients undergoing hemodialysis. This study aimed to explore the coping strategies used by CKD patients receiving hemodialysis as they worked toward accepting their condition. A qualitative approach was employed, involving in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of hemodialysis patients at Dr. Zainoel Abidin General Hospital in Aceh, Indonesia. Data were collected between September and December 2024. Eight participants were interviewed, and the data were analyzed thematically to identify patterns related to coping strategies and the acceptance process. The findings revealed that most patients experienced a dynamic grieving process, including shock, denial, and rejection, before reaching acceptance of their condition. Coping strategies, social support, and spiritual values played a significant role in this psychological process. However, even after accepting their condition, patients continued to experience emotional burdens, including feelings of despair and frustration, emotional fatigue and emotional instability, social withdrawal, and a loss of purpose in life. Therefore, a holistic health care approach is essential to address not only patients' medical needs but also their spiritual and psychosocial well-being.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Chronic kidney disease, Hemodialysis, Coping strategies, Illness acceptance, Spirituality

 Article history

Received 6 September 2025, Received in revised form 2 August 2026, Accepted 19 August 2026

 Acknowledgment

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the participants for their invaluable contribution to this research. Your time and insights have been essential in advancing our study. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

This study was conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the Zainoel Abidin General Hospital with number: 109/ETIK-RSUDZA/2024. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. 

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

Zahra Z, Effendy E, Mawarpury M, and Marthoenis M (2026). Beyond the dialysis machine: Coping strategies in the acceptance journey of chronic kidney disease patients. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(8): 155-163

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