Patterns of Personality in Living Kidney Donors.
BACKGROUND
The decision to undergo living donor transplantation determines a particular condition characterized by strong mental and emotional anguish, both for the patient and his family. Many recent studies showed the concern of living donors who, rather than being driven by altruistic reasons, meet the decision to donate with ambivalence, liabilities, and/or in response to family pressures. The aim of this study was to analyze the more frequently encountered personality variables in a sample of potential kidney living donors, together with any psychological variables that can express possible risks of an impulsive decision and/or poorly processed from a cognitive and emotional point of view.


METHODS
We examined 32 potential kidney donors. The personality study was performed using The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III. The psychic symptoms were studied through the Symptom Checklist-90-R. The quality of life was studied through the Complete Form Health Survey (SF-36).


RESULTS
The study showed that the ability to express free and therefore invalid consent, in the role of donor, is an expression of specific personality patterns, cognitive, emotional aspects and interpersonal experiences.


CONCLUSIONS
The psychological-psychiatric evaluation of potential donors is fundamental to certify the state of mental health and psychological well-being, an indispensable prerequisite for the donation.
Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced technologies GF Ingrassia, University of Catania, Italy.
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De Pasquale
Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced technologies GF Ingrassia, University of Catania, Italy.
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Veroux
Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced technologies GF Ingrassia, University of Catania, Italy.
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Sinagra
Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced technologies GF Ingrassia, University of Catania, Italy.
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Sanfiorenzo
Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced technologies GF Ingrassia, University of Catania, Italy.
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Sanzone
Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced technologies GF Ingrassia, University of Catania, Italy.
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Trigona
Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced technologies GF Ingrassia, University of Catania, Italy.
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Giaquinta
Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced technologies GF Ingrassia, University of Catania, Italy.
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Veroux
Vascular Surgery and Organ Transplant Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced technologies GF Ingrassia, University of Catania, Italy. Electronic address: m.luisapistorio@libero.it.
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Pistorio
D000328:Adult; D000533:Altruism; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological