Movie watching during dialysis sessions reduces depression and anxiety and improves quality of life: A randomized clinical trial

Objective: Evaluate the effect of watching comedy movies as a complementary practice during dialysis on levels of anxiety, depression, quality of life, stress, laboratory findings and intra-dialysis complications. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted involving the practice of presenting comedy movies during dialysis. The primary outcome was depression. The secondary outcomes were anxiety, quality of life, stress, laboratory findings and intra-dialysis complications. Results Twenty-six patients were in the control group and 35 were in the experimental group. Significant intra-group differences [6.0 to 3.0 (p < 0.001) and 8.0 to 4.0 (p < 0.001), respectively] and inter-group differences [5.0 vs. 3.0 (p = 0.016) and 7.0 vs. 4.0 (p = 0.017), respectively] were found regarding anxiety and depression scores, with improvements in the experimental group. The experimental group was also less likely to have intra-dialysis complications, such as hypertension (p = 0.003) and headache (p = 0.020), and reported significant improvements in different domains of quality of life [symptoms/problems (p = 0.003); effects of the disease (p = 0.008); pain (p = 0.027); general health state (p = 0.004); and social function (p = 0.036)]. No significant differences were found in salivary cortisol or the results of the biochemical exams, with the exception of a reduction in hematocrit in the control group. Conclusions The proposed complementary practice was associated with reductions in anxiety and depression scores and intra-dialysis complications (hypertension and headache) as well as improvements in quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease.