Psychological Characteristics of Patients on the Liver Transplantation Waiting List With Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

Introduction Untreated psychiatric morbidity can worsen the quality of life in the posttransplantation stage. Therefore, it is important to detect and treat alterations associated with depression in transplantation patients from the beginning of the process. The objective of this study was to determine the psychological characteristics of patients on the liver transplantation waiting list with emotionally depressed symptoms. Material and Methods We evaluated 70 patients on the liver transplantation waiting list for psychopathological symptoms of depression using the Symptom Assessment-45 Questionnaire (González and Cuevas) using chi-squared tests, Student t tests, and logistic regression analysis. Results Forty-seven percent of the patients on the liver transplantation waiting list showed relevant depressive-type psychopathological symptoms. The presence of the following factors were associated with the emotionally depressed characteristics of these patients: psychiatric mental disorders ( P = .015); no partner ( P = .009); and alcohol abuse ( P = .050). Other related factors included the following: obsessive-compulsive-type emotional alterations ( P = .001); interpersonal sensitivity ( P < .001); anxiety ( P < .001); hostility ( P = .017); phobic anxiety ( P = .017); and paranoid ideation ( P = .029). With regard to coping strategies, these patients used defenselessness ( P < .001) and anxious preoccupation ( P = .016). With regard to the social-family setting, emotionally depressed patients had nonfunctional family and/or social support, according to the global MOS (Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey) index ( P = .008) and the total Apgar Family Score ( P < .001). Conclusions Almost half of the patients on the liver transplantation waiting list showed emotionally depressed–type symptoms. Other emotional-type alterations were related to this psychological profile: coping strategies of defenselessness and anxious preoccupation as well as nonfunctional social and/or family support.