title: Individual differences in personality profiles among potential living kidney transplant donors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the psychological assessment of potential living kidney donors (PLKD) is part of the recommendations for action for any transplant coordination, there are not many studies that provide data about the importance of selecting donors for improving transplant outcomes. This work aims to raise awareness of potential kidney donors by designing methods for early detection of potential problems after the transplant, as well as by selecting the most suitable donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a study of 25 PLKD drawn from the General University Hospital of Alicante. Participants completed the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III) for the study of personality characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women scored higher than men in the compulsive personality scale, and individuals with a genetic link with the recipient scored higher on depressive and dependent scales than did those with other relationships (emotional or altruistic).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women showed a pattern of significantly more compulsive personality traits (cautious, controlled, perfectionist) within a non-pathological style. Among the PLKD, there were significantly more women, which is contrary to what typically happens with donations from cadavers. Genetically related subjects scored higher on depression than did those that were emotionally related. The personality assessment of candidates for PLKD can help with developing a post-transplant follow-up regimen for an improved quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicología de la Salud. Universidad Miguel Hernández cjvander@umh.es ; Unidad de Psicología Clínica de la Salud. Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Spain rod.marin@umh.es.
authors.forename: Carlos J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: van-der Hofstadt
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicología de la Salud. Universidad Miguel Hernández cjvander@umh.es ; Unidad de Psicología Clínica de la Salud. Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Spain rod.marin@umh.es.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Marín
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicología de la Salud. Universidad Miguel Hernández cjvander@umh.es.
authors.forename: Fermín
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martínez-Zaragoza
authors.affiliation: Equipo de Coordinación de Trasplantes. Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Spain santiago_car@gva.es.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Santiago-Guervós
keywords: Living donors; kidney transplants; personality assessment