title: Psychosocial Challenges in Solid Organ Transplantation.
abstract: Organ transplantation is often a life-saving surgery for individuals with end-stage organ disease. However, for most types of solid organ transplant, the demand for organs outweighs the supply, resulting in the need to institute a waiting list for suitable patients who cannot immediately receive an organ. Individuals who need transplants must undergo an assessment process that includes medical, surgical, and psychosocial evaluations. The transplant psychosocial evaluation considers whether surgical candidates are able and willing to care for the transplanted organ for many years. The evaluation must also consider a number of psychosocial risk factors that can lead to complications, which may cause premature loss of the graft. Some of these risk factors include a history of poor medical adherence, psychopathology (including substance use disorders), poor social support, and cognitive dysfunction. This article briefly summarizes the assessment of each of these risk factors and how they can be mitigated to ensure the best outcomes for patients and their families.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 770 Kinnear Road, Suite 100, Columbus, OH, 43212, USA. kristin.kuntz@osumc.edu.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuntz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Stephan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Weinland
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medical Social Sciences, Surgery, & Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Zeeshan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Butt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D018579:Patient Selection; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Non-adherence; Organ transplantation; Psychopathology; Psychosocial assessment