Abstract
Purpose A descriptive, exploratory study was conducted to examine perceptions and meanings assigned to the experience of end-stage heart failure and transplant surgery in female recipients. Methods Data was collected from 33 female heart transplant recipients from a heart transplant clinic using quantitative and qualitative methods. Women completed the Life Attitudes Profile and Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist and participated in a semi-structured interview. Results Women on average had a meaning score of 30.64 ± 8.32 (range, 10-43) and a life purpose score of 40.12 ± 13.78 (range, 17-63). The participants reported high levels of anxiety, depression, and hostility. Women expressed feelings of fear and lack of control related to their heart disease and transplant; however, they also described optimism, faith, acceptance, altruism, self-transcendence, self-fulfillment, and changing life goals as strong motivators for recovery. Conclusion Women experience emotional distress as much as and beyond 5 years after heart transplantation. Their sense of meaning and life purpose is relatively high and is positively informed by several motivating factors that serve as coping resources throughout the recovery process.
Highlights
A descriptive, exploratory study was conducted to examine perceptions and meanings assigned to the experience of end-stage heart failure and transplant surgery in female recipients
A growing body of evidence supports the notion that heart transplant recipients experience varying levels of psychological distress during recovery from surgery.[1,2,3,4] persons who undergo heart transplant experience increased psychological distress related both to postoperative physiological changes and to adjustment to a posttransplant treatment regimen fraught with side effects.[5]
The sample consisted of 33 women who had their heart transplant surgery an average of 4.6 Ϯ 4.8 years before study participation
Summary
A descriptive, exploratory study was conducted to examine perceptions and meanings assigned to the experience of end-stage heart failure and transplant surgery in female recipients. CONCLUSION: Women experience emotional distress as much as and beyond 5 years after heart transplantation Their sense of meaning and life purpose is relatively high and is positively informed by several motivating factors that serve as coping resources throughout the recovery process. A growing body of evidence supports the notion that heart transplant recipients experience varying levels of psychological distress during recovery from surgery.[1,2,3,4] persons who undergo heart transplant experience increased psychological distress related both to postoperative physiological changes and to adjustment to a posttransplant treatment regimen fraught with side effects.[5] Recently, researchers have suggested that the need to cope with the physical loss of a heart and acceptance of a donor heart may be antecedent to feelings of psychological distress.[6]. Evangelista, UCLA, School of Nursing, 700 Tiverton, Factor Building, Los Angeles, CA 900256918
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