Factors Associated with Transplant-Specific Psychological Adaptation Among Heart and Kidney Transplant Recipients.
- 1Faculty of Health Sciences, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, 30-705 Kraków, Poland.
- 2Medical Institute, University of Applied Sciences in Nowy Targ, 34-400 Nowy Targ, Poland.
Abstract
Background
Psychological adaptation after solid organ transplantation extends beyond graft survival and includes transplant-specific emotional responses that may influence long-term health outcomes. However, factors associated with transplant-specific psychological adaptation remain insufficiently understood, particularly in Central European populations.Methods
A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted among 224 adult heart (n = 107) and kidney (n = 117) transplant recipients attending three Polish transplant centers. Participants completed the Transplant Effects Questionnaire (TxEQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and SF-36. We performed univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses separately for heart and kidney transplant recipients to identify factors associated with transplant-specific psychological adaptation.Results
Overall psychological adaptation was favorable. Adherence demonstrated the highest TxEQ scores, whereas donor-related guilt and disclosure concerns were relatively low. Approximately 20.53% of participants reported clinically relevant anxiety symptoms and 14.2% reported depressive symptoms. In heart transplant recipients, better mental health-related quality of life was independently associated with greater adherence (β = 0.025, p = 0.003). Among kidney transplant recipients, higher donor-related guilt was associated with transplantation center, while greater disclosure was associated with male sex, transplantation center, and shorter time since transplantation (all p < 0.05). Several psychological variables were associated with selected domains of transplant-specific psychological adaptation, whereas demographic and clinical variables showed fewer significant associations.Conclusions
These findings indicate that several psychological variables were associated with transplant-specific psychological adaptation in long-term heart and kidney transplant recipients. Routine assessment of anxiety, mental health-related quality of life, and transplant-specific emotional responses may facilitate identification of recipients who could benefit from further psychosocial evaluation. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether these associations translate into improved long-term outcomes.
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BibTeX
@article{milaniak2026factors,
title = {{Factors Associated with Transplant-Specific Psychological Adaptation Among Heart and Kidney Transplant Recipients.}},
author = {Irena Milaniak and Roksana Pawlikowska and Grażyna Dębska},
journal = {Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/healthcare14203551},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42940595},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Factors Associated with Transplant-Specific Psychological Adaptation Among Heart and Kidney Transplant Recipients.
AU - Irena Milaniak
AU - Roksana Pawlikowska
AU - Grażyna Dębska
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/healthcare14203551
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42940595
AB - Background Psychological adaptation after solid organ transplantation extends beyond graft survival and includes transplant-specific emotional responses that may influence long-term health outcomes. However, factors associated with transplant-specific psychological adaptation remain insufficiently understood, particularly in Central European populations.Methods A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted among 224 adult heart (n = 107) and kidney (n = 117) transplant recipients attending three Polish transplant centers. Participants completed the Transplant Effects Questionnaire (TxEQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and SF-36. We performed univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses separately for heart and kidney transplant recipients to identify factors associated with transplant-specific psychological adaptation.Results Overall psychological adaptation was favorable. Adherence demonstrated the highest TxEQ scores, whereas donor-related guilt and disclosure concerns were relatively low. Approximately 20.53% of participants reported clinically relevant anxiety symptoms and 14.2% reported depressive symptoms. In heart transplant recipients, better mental health-related quality of life was independently associated with greater adherence (β = 0.025, p = 0.003). Among kidney transplant recipients, higher donor-related guilt was associated with transplantation center, while greater disclosure was associated with male sex, transplantation center, and shorter time since transplantation (all p < 0.05). Several psychological variables were associated with selected domains of transplant-specific psychological adaptation, whereas demographic and clinical variables showed fewer significant associations.Conclusions These findings indicate that several psychological variables were associated with transplant-specific psychological adaptation in long-term heart and kidney transplant recipients. Routine assessment of anxiety, mental health-related quality of life, and transplant-specific emotional responses may facilitate identification of recipients who could benefit from further psychosocial evaluation. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether these associations translate into improved long-term outcomes.
SN - 2227-9032
ER -