Objective To investigate the current status of skeletal muscle reduction (abbreviated as sarcopenia), quality of life and mental status of maintenance dialysis (MHD) patients, and to explore the relationship between sarcopenia and the quality of life and mental status. Methods According to the diagnostic criteria developed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People, 101 MHD patients treated in our hospital in Dec, 2017 were divided into sarcopenia group (n=51) and non-sarcopenia group (n=50). The body composition was measured by human body composition monitor in all the patients. The quality of life was assessed using the SF-36 scale. The anxiety and depression were assessed with the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between sarcopenia and the quality of life and mental status of the MHD patients. Results There were significant differences in the age, gender, body mass index (BMI), Charlson comorbidity index, grip strength, walking speed, somatic cell mass, extra-cellular fluid/total body fluid ratio (ECF/TBF), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), urea clearance index (Kt/V), anxiety, depression, physical function, bodily pain, general health status and mental health between the two groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). While there were no significant differences in the marital status, education, annual income, dialysis age, primary disease, hemoglobin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, prealbumin, albumin, serum calcium, blood phosphorus, intact parathyroid hormone, physical role, vitality, social function and emotion role between the two groups (all P>0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that skeletal muscle mass, marital status and comorbidity were the influencing factors of the quality of life of MHD patients with sarcopenia (all P<0.05), and skeletal muscle mass, BMI and annual income were the influencing factors of mental status of MHD patients with sarcopenia (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion The incidence of sarcopenia is high in MHD patients. Sarcopenia is related to poor quality of life, and anxiety and depressive symptoms, highlighting the importance of early detection and attention to sarcopenia.