Introduction:
Dialysis therapy is a life-sustaining treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease; however, it is associated with substantial somatic, functional, and psychosocial burdens that may hinder adaptation to chronic illness. Illness acceptance is an important psychological resource associated with better well-being and greater engagement in treatment.

Aim:
The aim of the study was to assess illness acceptance among dialysis patients in Poland and to examine its associations with functional limitations as well as selected clinical and sociodemographic factors.

Material and methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted in 99 dialysis centers across Poland between 2023 and 2024 and included adult patients receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Illness acceptance was assessed using the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS; score range 8–40 points). Self-reported functional limitations were identified from responses to an open-ended question and subsequently categorized using thematic analysis. Statistical analyses were performed using nonparametric tests and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

Results:
A total of 887 questionnaires were analyzed. The mean AIS score was 24.84 ±7.71, indicating a moderate level of illness acceptance. Most categories of functional limitations were not significantly associated with AIS. Higher illness acceptance was observed among patients reporting travel limitations. No associations were found between illness acceptance and dialysis modality or vascular access. A weak negative correlation was noted between illness acceptance and dialysis duration. Married participants showed higher acceptance, whereas patients with children reported lower acceptance.

Conclusions:
Illness acceptance among dialysis patients in Poland was moderate and showed a slight decline with longer dialysis duration. It was largely unrelated to clinical characteristics but varied according to selected sociodemographic charac­teristics and perceived functional limitations.