title: Psychosocial aspects before and up to 2 years after heart or lung transplantation: Experience of patients and their next of kin.
abstract: Psychosocial factors are important for patients undergoing heart (HTx) or lung (LTx) transplantation and for their next of kin (NoK).
  
  
  
  To describe health-related quality of life (HRQoL; patients only), anxiety, depression, stress, coping ability, and burden (NoK only) for patients and their NoK before and up to 2 years after HTx or LTx.
  
  
  
  Adult patients (28 hearts and 26 lungs) and their appointed NoK were surveyed with questionnaires about specific psychosocial topics when they were accepted for the transplantation waiting list and 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after transplantation.
  
  
  
  Patients' coping ability and self-perceived health were low at baseline and improved over time after transplantation. However, lung patients took longer time to recover in terms of HRQoL, depression, and stress than heart patients. Similarly, NoK of lung patients experienced a higher burden and more stress 1 year after transplantation than NoK of heart patients.
  
  
  
  Healthcare professionals should be aware of the psychosocial challenges patients and their NoK face in daily living and provide support both before and after heart or lung transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.|Division of Nursing Science, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.|Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ågren
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.|Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Skåne University Hospital Lund, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Trygve
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sjöberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Science, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ekmehag
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Skåne University Hospital Lund, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maj-Britt
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Wiborg
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.|Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Skåne University Hospital Lund, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Bodil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ivarsson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: chronic illness; end-stage cardiac diseases; end-stage lung diseases; family; health-related quality of life; longitudinal study; psychosocial adjustment; transplantation