Psychosocial adjustment and quality of life following heart transplantation.
This article describes the pre-operative psychosocial and quality-of-life adjustment of a consecutive series of 27 heart transplant recipients and the adjustment of the 24 survivors at 12 months follow-up. Pre-operatively, 14 had a psychiatric diagnosis and this figure had dropped to five at 12 months follow-up. Those patients without a psychiatric diagnosis preoperatively had not developed one at follow-up. There was a significant correlation between pre-operative psychiatric diagnosis and a rating of poor medical compliance. Ratings of physical activity, employment and questionnaire ratings of psychological adjustment also showed highly significant improvement at follow-up and the majority of patients were active sexually. It is concluded that heart transplantation in selected subjects with terminal heart disease results in a substantial improvement in psychosocial adjustment and quality-of-life 12 months following surgery.
Mai
F M
FM
Department of Psychiatry, Ottawa General Hospital, Ontario.
McKenzie
F N
FN
Kostuk
W J
WJ
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011788:Quality of Life; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000523:psychology; D012803:Sick Role; D012917:Social Adjustment