Psychological Distress in Hospitalized Patients Awaiting Organ Transplantation: Case Examples, Thematic Exploration, and
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Psychological Distress in Hospitalized Patients Awaiting Organ Transplantation: Case Examples, Thematic Exploration, and Suggestions for Intervention Hannah Khoddam1 · David K. Wellisch1
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019
Abstract Organ transplantation is a life-saving mechanism with a large public health burden given the necessity of individuals to donate their organs in the event of their own death. Understanding the psychological and medical sequelae of individuals receiving an organ transplant is invaluable in a successful transplant. The waiting period for transplantation is the most psychologically difficult period, and is an important window during which to intervene psychologically and medically. Patients who are hospitalized during this waiting period make up the most vulnerable population given the psychological difficulties of not only awaiting transplant but of a prolonged and difficult hospitalization. This paper is a first step in understanding the psychological landscape of hospitalized patient’s awaiting transplant and the potential research avenues and intervention strategies that may be utilized in order to decrease the psychological burden as well as influence successful medical outcomes in organ transplantation. Keywords Organ transplant · Hospitalized patients · Psychological distress · Case examples · Intervention
General Psychological Issues in Organ Transplantation Approximately 758,031 transplants have occurred between January 1st 1988 and January 31st 2018, and counting (Based on OPTN data as of January 8th, 2019). Although transplantation offers the chance of survival, it also brings about numerous psychological difficulties across the transplantation process. As the success rate of transplantation has increased, the role of mental health professionals has expanded to help patients cope with the psychological changes and difficulties that occur across the transplantation process (Schmajuk, DeGuzman & Allen, 2019). Research suggests that more than 25% of patients suffer from anxiety and depression during the pretransplant period which can lead to poor medical adherence (Bailey et al., 2017; Corbett, Armstrong, Parker, Webb & Neuberger, 2013; Courtwright,
* Hannah Khoddam [email protected] 1
UCLA Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine, 760 Westwood Plaza, #17‑446, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
Salomon, Lehmann, Wolfe & Goldberg, 2016; Mai, McKenzie & Kostuk, 1990; Shapiro et al., 1995; Søyseth et al., 2016), difficulties coping, and increased psychosocial stressors post transplant (Chacko, Harper, Gotto & Young, 1996; Dew et al., 2015). Psychological health appears to affect patients at all stages of the transplant process, which necessitates interventions for increased quality of life as well as survival. In fact, differing psychological reactions and coping demands have been found at different stages of the transplant process (Schulz & Kroencke, 2015). Four distinct temporal stages exist in the transplantation proce
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