History and Objectives: Due to high prevalence and increasing number of dialysis patients and several reports of anxiety among patients and conflicting recent report, the present study was performed on patients referred to the Sodeh Dialysis Unit of Imam Hossein hospital of Islam-shahr in 2000 in order to determine the extent of anxiety-dialysis relationship.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out. All patients were at least receiving one year of dialysis treatment. Control group was selected from healthy volunteers. Age, sex and marital status were matched between control and case groups. The anxiety rate was evaluated by a psychiatric assistant, under the supervision of psychiatrist, using Hamilton Anxiety Test.

Results: The study was conducted on 54 control and 51 case group. The anxiety scale in control and case groups were 34±2.4 and 24.9±8.2 respectively. The results in two groups were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis statistical method, showing that the rate was significantly higher in patients. Dialysis could be of importance in provoking anxiety.

Conclusion: Finding the cause of anxiety in dialyzed patients and also determining the effect of shared psychiatric and nephrologic services on cost, course of disease and treatment of patients, deserves more research.