Psychological profile and disease-coping strategies of patients on the waiting list for liver transplantation.

AIM: To determine the psychological characteristics of patients on the liver transplant waiting list; to analye the implications of the patient's psychological profile on coping with the disease.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Study population: patients on the liver transplant waiting list. Psychological-profile: Socio-personal history; Mini Mental State Examination; Brief-Symptom Inventory of psychopathological problems; International Neuropsychiatric Interview; Family APGAR questionnaire; Social Support Questionnaire. Coping with the disease: A questionnaire about mental adaptation to the disease. Patients were recruited for the study at the time when they were included on the waiting list.

RESULTS

The patients (n=112) had the following characteristics: 68% of the patients had symptoms of emotional psychopathology, with 48% being of a depressive, anxious and obsessive-compulsive type, respectively. In terms of social and family support, 27% had the perception of being in a dysfunctional family (slight-23%; serious-4%). What is more, according to the Global Support Index, 21% had non-functional social and family support. Coping with the disease: 8% were well-adapted to the disease, the remaining 92% were poorly adapted; of which, 79% had a weaker fighting spirit, 51% expressed anxiety and concern about coping with the disease, 34% found they resorted to fatalism, 29% were in denial and 27% felt helpless.

CONCLUSIONS

Once liver patients are included on the transplant waiting list, they poorly adapt to the disease, with important emotional implications that result in psychological alterations.