Supporting Complexity: the Psychologist’s Role in Multidisciplinary Management of Polycystic Kidney Disease

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic kidney disease. It is characterized by the formation of cysts in kidneys. This condition has a significant impact on people’s lives. It causes not only physical suffering but also psychological suffering. People with ADPKD may experience psychological distress, depending on their personal and health conditions. The inability to accept or adapt to the disease and its resulting changes causes individuals difficulties that appear in different levels of their lives: intrapersonal, interpersonal, social, and occupational. In the context of ADPKD, the psychologist is involved both at clinical and research levels. The psychologist has a crucial role in supporting patients by assessing how they react to the disease, to its related limitations, and to the resulting disabilities. The proposal of psychological support, considered as an intervention instrument, is helpful both at the diagnostic stage and in follow-up, as the disease worsens. The support aims to encourage acceptance and adaptation to the disease, process changes, and physical and mental consequences.