Contribution of post-transplant social support to the quality of life of transplant recipients.
With advances in medicine and pharmacology, post-transplant quality of life (QoL) has become a major concern of researchers. In social work transplant practice, provision of social support towards QoL warrants attention. The purposes of this study were (1) to describe the social support networks of kidney, liver, and pancreas transplant recipients during the post-transplant phase of their recovery, and (2) to examine the correlations between the types and nature of social support networks and the QoL of these transplant recipients. We conducted an exploratory-descriptive study in a US university's transplant clinic. Instruments were the Social Network Map, Adult Self-Image Scale, Sickness Impact Profile, and Quality of Life Index. Descriptive statistics, and correlation analyses were used with a significance level of .05. We observed correlations between concrete and emotional support, and direction, closeness and duration of support, and QoL. Based on our findings, we discussed implications for research and practice.
Cetingok
Muammer
M
College of Social Work, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, 711 Jefferson Avenue, Memphis Campus, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. mcetingok@utk.edu
Hathaway
Donna
D
Winsett
Rebecca
R
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D012947:Social Work; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019737:Transplants