title: A Study on Emotional-Affective Aspects and the Perception of General Health in Kidney Transplant Subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transplantation has profound psychological implications. Psychodiagnostic assessments with structured instruments (scales, questionnaires) may be insufficient for bringing out the deeper aspects of the personality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty kidney transplant recipients underwent the Thematic Apperception Test to detect significant variables hypothetically related to characteristics of the study sample and the SF-36 to assess quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The variable of Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) "communication difficulties" was significantly correlated with the dimensions of the SF-36 "emotional role functioning," "social activities," and "mental health." The dimension of SF-36 "general health" did not interfere with the variable of TAT "constricted effect."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is considered to be particularly useful in detecting the emergence of "removed difficulties" that transplanted subjects are not inclined to recognize. The analysis of these aspects is necessary to plan individualized psychotherapy pathways.
authors.affiliation: Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Advanced Technologies, University Hospital of Catania, Italy. Electronic address: m.luisapistorio@libero.it.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Pistorio
authors.affiliation: Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Advanced Technologies, University Hospital of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veroux
authors.affiliation: Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Advanced Technologies, University Hospital of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giaquinta
authors.affiliation: Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Advanced Technologies, University Hospital of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sinagra
authors.affiliation: Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Advanced Technologies, University Hospital of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corona
authors.affiliation: Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Advanced Technologies, University Hospital of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veroux
authors.affiliation: Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Transplantation and Advanced Technologies, University Hospital of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Pasquale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D066027:Transplant Recipients / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult