title: Psychosocial functioning in patients with alcohol-related liver disease post liver transplantation.
abstract: Emotional and role functioning difficulties are associated with chronic alcohol use and liver disease. Little is known about prospective changes in psychological and psychosocial functioning following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) amongst patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD). We aimed to assess the functioning of this patient group post liver transplantation. Comprehensive psychosocial assessment of depression (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Form X [STAI]) and psychosocial adjustment (Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self-Report version [PAIS-SR]) was conducted with 42 ALD patients available for pre and post OLT testing. Dependence severity was assessed by the Brief Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (bMAST). Significant reductions in average anxiety and depression symptoms were observed 12-months post-OLT. Significant improvements in psychosocial adjustment to illness were also reported. Patients with higher levels of alcohol dependence severity pre transplant assessment improved comparably to those with lower levels of dependence. In summary, the study found that OLT contributed to reducing overall levels of mood and anxiety symptoms in ALD patients, approximating general (non-clinical) population norms. Psychosocial adjustment also improved significantly post liver transplantation.
authors: Alcohol and Drug Assessment Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia.
authors: Nell
authors: N
authors: Pegum
authors: Alcohol and Drug Assessment Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, QLD 4029, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry, The University of Queensland, QLD 4029, Australia. Electronic address: Jason.Connor@uq.edu.au.
authors: Jason P
authors: JP
authors: Connor
authors: Alcohol and Drug Assessment Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, QLD 4029, Australia; Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, QLD 4059, Australia.
authors: Ross McD
authors: RM
authors: Young
authors: Alcohol and Drug Assessment Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia; Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, QLD 4029, Australia.
authors: Gerald F X
authors: GF
authors: Feeney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D000066498:Emotional Adjustment; D004651:Employment; D058625:End Stage Liver Disease / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012931:Social Environment
keywords: Alcoholic liver disease; Liver transplantation; Psychosocial functioning