Abstract
Since living kidney donors have repeatedly been shown to be mentally more healthy compared to the general population, they might also exhibit more adaptive personality characteristics. We investigated the personality traits of 315 living kidney donors (202 female and 113 male donors) on average 7.1 years after donation using the NEO-Five Factor Inventory, a frequently used personality inventory measuring the “big five” dimensions of personality (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness). In addition, levels of depression, anxiety, and fatigue were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-Depression Scale, GAD-7, and Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. Kidney donors showed more adaptive personality traits with higher agreeableness and lower neuroticism scores compared to the German general population. This was even more pronounced in living kidney donors with a high motivation to donate again (non-regreters). Scores for depression, anxiety, and fatigue did not differ from general population values and were significantly correlated with most personality dimensions. The more adaptive personality characteristics of living kidney donors might either be a selection effect or the consequence of the experience of donation and improved health of the close relative. Regardless of the causal relationship, adaptive personality traits might positively influence both physical and psychosocial well-being of the donor. Longitudinal studies should investigate if living donation might lead to persistent adaptive changes in personality traits.
Highlights
Worldwide, more than 20,000 kidney transplantations after living donation are performed each year [1]
All individuals registered in the outpatient database of Hannover Medical School as living kidney donors where the donation was at least 1 year ago (1987–2016), and who were below 70 years of age at the time of the survey were contacted
A total of 535 surveys were mailed to the selected living kidney donors
Summary
More than 20,000 kidney transplantations after living donation are performed each year [1]. In Germany, 2,195 kidney transplantations were done in 2015, of which, 645 (29.4%) were from living kidney donors [2]. There were 7,961 transplantable patients on the waiting list showing the unfulfilled high demand for donor kidneys. The mean waiting period for kidney transplantation with deceased donor organs in Germany is estimated to be 6–7 years [2], but depends on the blood group of the recipients. For patients with blood group 0, the average waiting time is currently 9 years in Germany [3]. Living kidney donation has become the gold standard treatment of end-stage renal failure. The benefits of kidney transplantation with living donor organs compared
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