title: [The influence of relationship dynamics on the psychosocial outcome of genetically related and unrelated living kidney donor-recipient pairs].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Renal diseases and their treatment can cause distress and psychosocial problems for both patients and relatives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Relationship dynamics and parameters of quality of life were assessed in 10 genetically related (brothers) and 14 genetically unrelated donor-recipient pairs (spouses) involved in living kidney donation (LKD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  LKDs were described by related donors and recipients as fundamentally positive and in many cases led to an intensification of the relationship between donor and recipient. LKDs between unrelated donors and recipients appeared to achieve the same results as donations between related donors and recipients. Particularly the general desire to help determined the decision-making process of donors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to general clinical parameters, especially motivational and relationship dynamics should be evaluated in the pre- and postoperative clinical psychological assessment of potential donors and recipients of LKD.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Univ.-Klinik für Medizinische Psychologie, Schöpfstraße 23 a, Innsbruck. Martin.Kumnig@i-med.ac.at
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumnig
authors.forename: Sybille
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schratz
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Geier
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Smrekar
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schneeberger
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Höfer
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rumpold
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schüssler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000533:Altruism; D003657:Decision Making; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000523:psychology*; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic / Q000523:psychology*