Psychosocial outcome and resilience after paediatric liver transplantation in young adults
Mayer, Katrin; Junge, Norman; Goldschmidt, Imke; Leiskau, Christoph; Becker, Thomas; Lehner, Frank; Richter, Nicolas; Van Dick, Rolf; Baumann, Ulrich; Pfister, Eva-Doreen
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2019-02-05Metadata
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Mayer, Junge, Goldschmidt, Leiskau, Becker T, Lehner, Richter, Van Dick R, Baumann U, Pfister. Psychosocial outcome and resilience after paediatric liver transplantation in young adults. Clinics And Research in Hepatology and Gastroenterology. 2019;43(2):155-160 https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinre.2018.08.017Abstract
Background and objective: The long-term psychosocial outcome of young adults after paediatric liver transplantation (LT) was investigated with the focus on day-to-day living. We aimed to capture patients’ subjective perceptions of well-being and autonomy based on key physical outcome parameters.
Methods: All patients following paediatric LT at Hannover Medical School born before 2002 with a post-transplant follow-up of at least four years were included in this study. This retrospective observational study compared psychosocial parameters obtained from a self-designed 77-item questionnaire with standard clinical outcome variables.
Results: Eighty-two patients (male: 57%) aged 13–41 years were included in the survey within a three-month period (response rate: 41%). With an adherence rate of 33%, all but two patients were immunosuppressed. In total, 53 patients had transitioned to adult care largely without problems. Eighty-three percent (n = 68) evaluated their current health status as “(very) good”. Sixty-seven patients (82%) did not experience health-related anxiety in daily life.
Conclusions: Our results demonstrate psychological stability and high self-esteem of young patients, as well as good integration into society and a high degree of normality during daily life after LT. Adherence rates are lower than anticipated and do not correlate with patients’ understanding of their medical condition.