Family environment, intrusive ideation, and adjustment among renal transplant candidates.
Waiting for an organ transplant is a stressful experience frequently associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Little empirical work has examined patients during the stressful period prior to transplantation, particularly among patients waiting for a renal transplant. A large body of research has demonstrated that social and family support variables are associated with psychological adjustment in a variety of medical populations. Little research has examined the mechanism by which social support exerts its effects on psychological well-being. We examined two possible models of the role of intrusive thoughts on the relationship between a supportive family environment and both depression and anxiety in a sample of 75 patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) waiting for a kidney transplant. Path analyses provided modest support for a mediational model, showing that intrusive thoughts partly accounted for the relationship between family expressiveness and psychological distress. A moderational model examining the interactive effects of family environment and intrusive thinking on adjustment was not supported.
Moran
P J
PJ
Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA.
Christensen
A J
AJ
Ehlers
S L
SL
Bertolatus
J A
JA
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009770:Obsessive Behavior; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014850:Waiting Lists