Abstract
BackgroundDue to the shortage of cadaveric organs, living kidney donation has begun to serve as the most crucial organ pool. Transplant centers have a legitimate interest in expanding the pool of donors. A psychosocial evaluation is established in transplantation centers to prevent donors from possible emotional harm in the aftermath of donation. We explored if the resilience questionnaire is an appropriate measure of the mental stability. To standardize procedures of psychosocial evaluation and to optimize donor recruitment, we present our evaluation protocol and analyze the causes of exclusion from donation.MethodIn a naturalistic design, we compared resilience and quality of life in eligible and excluded donors at the time point of donation. Potential living kidney donors (N = 161) participated in the obligatory psychosomatic evaluation. Quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life, WHOQOL-Bref) and resilience (Resilience Scale, RS-12) were measured. Three months after nephrectomy donors quality of life was screened in a follow-up.ResultsIn the evaluation interview donors were classified as eligible (n = 142) or excluded (n = 12). Nonrelated donors (n = 3) were excluded from donation significantly more often (p < .011). Eligible donors (M = 78.42, SD = 10.19) had higher values for resilience than excluded donors (M = 72.7, SD = 8.18, p < .04), who showed values comparable to the norm. In all domains of quality of life, eligible donors had significantly higher values than healthy normals (p < .001). After donation health-related quality of life decreased, but was comparable to the norm. A regression analysis showed that resilience was a significant predictor for all dimensions of quality of life before donation (R2 = 10.2–24.6 %). Post-donation quality of life was significantly correlated with pre-donation resilience scores (p < .05).ConclusionsThe resilience score predicts high mental quality of life before and after donation. Therefor it can be implemented as a self-rating instrument to further objectify donor’s mental stability. Despite the stressful life event of donation, donor candidates presented high resilience and high levels of quality of life. Therefor our findings support health care providers` intentions to improve living donation. In the group of excluded donors nonrelated persons were overrepresented. Guidelines for the admission of nonrelated donors are currently unclear and need to be optimized.
Highlights
Due to the shortage of cadaveric organs, living kidney donation has begun to serve as the most crucial organ pool
Study design and sample We examined from July 2009 to December 2012 161 potential living kidney donors who were admitted for a psychosomatic screening to the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in Essen
In our survey only 8 % of the donor candidates were excluded and the majority of the group showed high levels of resilience and quality of life, therefor we affirm that kidney donor candidates constitute a resilient population of good mental health
Summary
Due to the shortage of cadaveric organs, living kidney donation has begun to serve as the most crucial organ pool. A psychosocial evaluation is established in transplantation centers to prevent donors from possible emotional harm in the aftermath of donation. A specific advantage of living kidney donation is the superiority of its outcome compared to deceased organ donation [1]. Under these circumstances, transplant centers have a legitimate interest in expanding the pool of possible donors and first studies tailored to increase living donor transplantation have been published [3, 4]. A psychosocial evaluation can identify eligible donors with resilient personality traits and help to exclude psychologically vulnerable donors and to prevent them from possible psychological harm in the aftermath of donation [5]. Priority must be given to developing standards for the predonation psychosocial evaluation of living donor candidates
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
