title: Cross-sectional psychosocial evaluation of heart transplantation candidates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Heart transplantation (HT) is a potentially life-saving procedure for people with terminal cardiac disease. In the last decades researchers of HT programs have attempted to identify the existence of psychosocial factors that might influence the clinical outcome before and after the transplantation. The main objective of this study was to describe epidemiological, psychiatric and psychological features of a large sample of HT candidates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study. A psychiatric and psychological assessment of 125 adult patients was performed at the moment of being included in the HT waiting list, between 2006 and 2012. The assessment consisted in: Clinical, epidemiological and psychosocial form; Spanish version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV axis I disorders; Coping questionnaire (COPE); Five Factors Inventory Revised (NEO-FFI-R); Apgar-Family questionnaire and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Axis I diagnoses were present in a 30.4% of patients. COPE showed that this group of patients used most frequently engagement strategies. Personality factors profile of NEO-FFI-R were similar to general population and locus of control scale also presented similar scores compared with other chronic diagnostic groups. Statistically significant associations were found between personality factors and COPE scales/dimensions and psychopathology, mainly neuroticism and disengagement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to assess systematically psychosocial factors in a large sample of HT candidates. We have found that around one third of these patients have a psychiatric disorder. Neuroticism and disengagement coping styles can serve as markers of emotional distress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Institut de Neuropsiquiatria i Addiccions, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Institut de Neurociències, Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: 39639rsg@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Institut de Neurociències, Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baillés
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Institut de Neurociències, Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Peri
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Institut de Neurociències, Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bastidas
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Heart Transplantation Division, Instituto Clínico del Tórax, Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pérez-Villa
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Institut de Neuropsiquiatria i Addiccions, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bulbena
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Institut de Neurociències, Hospital Clínic i Provincial de Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS) Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pintor
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D057234:Preoperative Period
keywords: Coping; Heart transplantation; Personality; Psychopathology; Psychosocial