title: Psychological distress in patients listed for liver transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the level of depression in patients listed for liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four adult patients, listed for liver transplantation, were submitted to psychological evaluation, including assessment of depression by means of the Beck Depression Inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two percent of the patients had mild/major depression. The group consisted mainly of male patients aged 47 on average, with a history of alcohol abuse and a Meld (Model for End-Liver Disease) value of 14.5. Patients that had been awaiting liver transplant longer presented less severe liver disease according to the Child-Pugh criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is extremely important to assess psychological distress in patients listed for liver transplantation. An interdisciplinary approach is essential to improve the patients' quality of life both in the pre- and post-transplant periods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, HC, FMRP, USP, Brazil. patricia.dm@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Patrícia Duarte
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Ajith Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sankarankutty
authors.forename: Orlando de Castro e
authors.initials: Ode C
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gorayeb
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement; D014850:Waiting Lists