Posttraumatic Growth Inventory at Living Kidney Donors.

Abstract

Kidney transplantation from living donors is regarded as a contradictory case to the “first do no harm” principle as a major surgical intervention is performed on a normal and healthy person at the expense of recovery of the organ recipient. Nevertheless, the living donor's acknowledgement of the reason why the operation is performed and awareness of the importance of organ donation as a life gift, makes the kidney transplantaion ethically acceptable. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there is a significant difference between the socio-demographic variables, which have an impact on psychiatric change of living kidney donors and post-traumatic development of living kidney donors. In the scope of the study, 184 living kidney donors aged 19 to 65 are selected. Comparison is made concerning the reserach results of those having survived a car accident, those diagnosed with cancer and those having no health problems. Assumptions of those having survived a car accident about the world can be negatively affected in the aftermath of the accident. The sample comprises 436 people aged 16 to 70, including 206 people having survived an accident and 230 people not having survived an accident. 66 percent of people having survived an accident were injured at different levels and almost all of them felt the fear of death. The sample consists of 78 patients aged 19 to 65, who receive diagnosis and treatment of several types of cancer at different stages within the last 6 to 60 months after the diagnosis. In comparison to the results of other 3 groups, the living kidney donors have a higher total score on the subscales of change in relationships and change in self-perception. Living donors have lower scores than those having survived a car accident and the control group on the subscale of the change in life philosophy only. Donors have higher scores than those diagnosed with cancer on the subscale of the change in life philosophy. The study puts that being a living kidney donor has no negative effect on people themselves.Table: No Caption available.