Determination of the psychiatric symptoms and psychological resilience levels of hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients and their relatives.

This study was performed to evaluate psychiatric symptoms and resilience levels of the hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients and their relatives. The study enrolled 51 patients and 45 relatives undergoing bone marrow transplantation. Data were collected using Personal Information Form, Brief Symptom Inventory and Resilience Scale for Adults. Psychiatric symptoms of both patients and their relatives were negatively associated with resilience levels. Patients and their relatives with a higher degree of resilience showed a lower degree of psychiatric symptoms. The study results demonstrate that haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a process that affects patients as well as their families. We suggest that patients and their family members be evaluated for psychiatric symptoms by nurses during this process and resilience level of patients be increased by helping them improve their coping and problem-solving skills for adaptation throughout the process.