How kidney disease affects your mental health

People with chronic conditions like kidney disease face mental health struggles such as depression or anxiety. In many kidney patients those challenges often go overlooked or undertreated. In this episode, we sat down with a mentor and mentee from NKF Peers to discuss their experiences and the importance of talking to someone who knows what you've been through.

In this episode, we spoke with:

Doris Lew

Doris Lew, a transplant recipient since 2016, just celebrated her six-year kidney-versary on May 12th. She received her kidney from a living donor after a year of peritoneal dialysis as a part of a ten-way chain. She was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy and is continually learning about her kidney disease. She has two grown sons and currently lives in Oakland, CA, with her husband and two dogs.

Manusca Belony

Manusca Belony has been living with kidney disease since 2019 and has recently begun peritoneal dialysis. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two children.

Marissa Argentina, LMSW

Marissa Argentina is the Patient Programs Director at the National Kidney Foundation whose primary role is overseeing patient support initiatives to improve kidney patient outcomes. She has provided oversight to the NKF Peers program since 2017. Prior to joining the National Kidney Foundation, Marissa worked as a dialysis center social worker.

Additional resources:

More information on NKF Peers (You can also call 855.NKF.PEER or email us at nkfpeers@kidney.org)

Participant Form

Mentor Application

Episode transcript

Depression and Dialysis

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