title: The influence of clinical variables on the psychological adaptation of adolescents after solid organ transplantation.
abstract: This study assessed the influence of clinical and socio-demographic variables on the psychological adaptation of transplanted adolescents. Twenty-six transplanted adolescents and 25 healthy adolescents, aged 13-17, and their parents participated in the study. The following domains were measured: social competence, emotional/behavioral problems, self-concept, self-esteem and subjective well-being. The findings revealed that transplanted boys presented significantly less social competence (U = 26,000, p < .05) and more externalizing problems (U = 25,000, p < .05), social problems (U = 25,000, p < .05) and attention problems (U = 17,500, p < .01) than healthy boys. In contrast, transplanted girls displayed significantly more internalizing problems (U = 47,000, p < .05) and lower physical self-concept (U = 49,500, p < .05) than healthy girls. Hierarchical regression analysis showed clinical variables, especially waiting-list time, significantly predicted attention problems (beta = .364, p < .05) and negative affect (beta = .632, p < .05) in transplanted adolescents. Also, male (beta = -0.554, p < .01) and younger (beta = -0.444, p < .01) transplanted adolescents were at risk for attention problems. Our data suggest the importance of the waiting-list time for transplanted adolescents. Efforts to reduce the pretransplant phase would help adolescents achieve better psychological adaptation at long-term posttransplant.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Center, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Avenida Unisinos, 950-Bairro Cristo Rei, CEP Sao Leopoldo, RS, Brazil. elisakc@unisinos.br
authors.forename: Elisa Kern
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: de Castro
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moreno Jiménez
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001828:Body Image; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012649:Self Concept; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012919:Social Behavior; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology