Dinâmica de Personalidade de Crianças e Adolescentes Portadores de Insuficiência Renal Crônica Submetidos à Hemodiálise Personality of Children and Adolescents With End-Stage Renal Disease in Haemodialysis.

Introduction: Personality dynamics depend on inherited endowment, genetic factors and are subjected to development under influence of environmental factors. Children in hemodialysis (HD) experience a number of losses and changes and tend to interrupt their growth and development. Objectives: 1. To describe the personality dynamics of children and adolescents undergoing HD and 2. To analyze the influence of sex, age and time of HD on personality dinamics. Methodology: 1. Patients: children and adolescents in HD, between 6 and 19 years old; 2. Tools: semi-structured interviews for caregivers and patients; entertainment diagnostic time; Projective Personality Instruments: (theme drawing of a sick person). Results: Analysis of 24 personality characteristics and 9 defense mechanisms in 20 patients revealed that patients beginning HD presented fear with greater frequency (100 X 55%, P=0.02) and introversion (90 vs. 44%, P=0.04) than those under treatment for more than a year. Defense mechanisms: compensation among girls, fantasy and denial. Conclusion: Personality dynamics of children and adolescents undergoing hemodialysis exhibit psychopathological aspects. (J Bras Nefrol 2006;28(1):31-38)