Psychosocial aspects of kidney transplantation and living kidney donation

Kidney transplant patients face an arduous transplant journey. Prior to transplant, many individuals experience dialysis-related fatigue, increased sarcopenia, and cardiovascular disease, which worsen quality of life (QoL) and increase the risk of depression and anxiety. These medical and psychosocial challenges are compounded by potential alterations in employment status and other social changes during the pre-transplant waiting period. Moreover, while physical QoL improves considerably after kidney transplantation, improvements in emotional QoL are small, with high rates of depression reported after transplantation. Together with increased levels of sedentary behavior, transplant recipients experience increased risk of post-transplant graft dysfunction, morbidity, and mortality. Living kidney donors increase the availability of transplantation and generally experience favorable medical outcomes after donation. However, a minority of living kidney donors are left with negative psychosocial effects, such as depression. Although the literature on interventions to improve psychosocial outcomes associated with kidney transplantation and living kidney donation is relatively sparse, it nevertheless offers cautious optimism for continued improvement of psychosocial outcomes.

Duke Scholars

Author Benson Mark Hoffman Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Adult Psychiatry & Psychol ...