[Personality characteristics of alcoholic candidates for liver transplantation].
OBJECTIVE
Although the characteristics of personality have been scarcely investigated in alcoholic patients who are candidates for liver transplantation (LT), a psychopathological evaluation is necessary in them.


METHODS
The personality questionnaire Mini-Mult was administered to 53 alcoholic and 20 non-alcoholic patients who were candidates for LT, and was re-administered to 18 alcoholic and 4 non-alcoholic patients at 1-3 months after LT.


RESULTS
Abnormal values in at least 1 of the 8 clinical Mini-Mult scales were observed in 62% of alcoholic patients. However, no significant differences were observed between alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients in relation to the intensity and frequency of abnormal Mini-Mult values. In those alcoholic patients re-evaluated shortly after transplantation, there was not a significant improvement in any of the Mini-Mult scales, with the exception of scale K (self-image).


CONCLUSIONS
Alcoholic patients candidates for LT show common alterations in some areas of the personality but the intensity is moderate and without significant differences with respect to non-alcoholic patients also evaluated as candidates for LT.
Monras
Miquel
M
Unidad de Alcohología, Instituto Clínico de Psiquiatría i Psicología, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain. mmornas@clinic.ub.es
Marcos
Victoria
V
Rimola
Antoni
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D013315:Stress, Psychological