Psychosocial stress after transplants: new standards set!

Psychosocial stress after transplants: new standards set!

Patients who undergo an organ transplant often face considerable psychological stress. This became clear in a new study carried out by Nele Reinsberg and colleagues at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). Loud Medical School Hamburg It is crucial to carry out regular screenings to detect mental health problems early. To date, however, there are hardly any practical instruments tailored to the specific needs of these patients.

The mixed-methods study developed transplant-specific problem lists that are used both before and after solid organ transplants. These problem lists can be used as a quick and easy-to-use screening tool to identify psychosocial stress. The main goal of this initiative is to reduce the suffering of patients and to offer them adequate support.

Validation of psychological screening instruments

An important supplementary instrument is the Transplant Effects Questionnaire (TxEQ), the German version of which (TxEQ-D) was recently validated. The results, which come from the analysis of 370 patients after heart, lung, liver and kidney transplants, show a high level of agreement with the original English version. How Academia.edu reported, the TxEQ-D demonstrated the same factorial structure and comparable psychometric properties, particularly in assessing concerns about transplantation.

These results demonstrate that the TxEQ-D is a useful tool in psychosomatic research. Another advantage is the validation with the SF-36, a well-known quality of life measurement tool to evaluate the emotional reaction of patients.

Multidisciplinary care for transplant patients

The psychological stress that transplant patients experience can be exacerbated by psychological comorbidities such as depression and anxiety disorders. These psychological factors can not only influence health status, but often require medical intervention, such as Medical Journal highlights. The new S3 guidelines will therefore establish important standards for psychosocial diagnostics and treatment.

The guidelines, which were developed by a number of specialist societies, address key issues such as the risks of non-adherence to taking medication after the transplant. This is essential because nonadherence can significantly worsen the prognosis after transplantation.

Psychosocial interventions are therefore essential and are particularly recommended in a multimodal manner to improve adherence. The high prevalence of psychological comorbidities, ranging from 12-60% for depression before to 40% after transplantation, highlights the urgent need for comprehensive support.

Overall, it can be said that the combination of specific problem lists and validated questionnaires such as the TxEQ-D offers a solid basis for the early detection and treatment of psychosocial stress. Carrying out these examinations can make a decisive contribution to improving the quality of life of transplant patients.