The Psychological Status, Quality Of Life And Affecting Psychosocial Factors After Liver Transplantation

Objective: To explore the patients' psychological problems and quality of life after liver transplantation, and to analyze the underlying affecting factors. Then to provide theoretical basis and practical guide for clinical psychological treatment of patients undertaking liver transplantation.Methods: We selected totally 53 patients after liver transplantation from West China Hospital, (6 undergoing Living-related Liver Transplantation and the other got livers from cadavers).After these patients acknowledged and consent the aims of this investigation, we sent out a package of questionnaires to each of them by post. Patients can contact us for information whenever they encountered any confuse during their filling in those questionnaires.According to the aim of this study, we investigated the patients by (1) demographic questionnaire which covers age, sex, marriage, economy, education, occupation and so on; (2)WH0Q0L-BREF, to estimate the differences of Quality of Life (QoL) among different patients by comparing their scores of WHOQOL-BREF ; (3)SCL-90, to assess the level of patients' psychological status; (4)Social Support Questionnaire, Trait Coping Style Questionnaire(TCSQ) and 16-Personality Factor Questionnaire(16-PF), to find the psychological characteristics of the patients. The social impacts on QoL and psychological status were analyzed with the demographic data. Psychological impacts on QoL and psychological status were analyzed with the results of Social Support Questionnaire, TCSQ and 16-PF.All data obtained in this investigation were statistically analyzed by SPSS 11.0. Statistical methods such as t-test, one-way ANOVA, multiple linear regression were used to analyze those data.Results: By unvaried analysis, the investigation results show that among the psychosocial factors, age, education, marriage, complications, stresses after liver transplantation, total days in hospital and resume to work were important ones that statistically affected the patients' QOL and psychological status after liver transplantation.Among the social support factors, it was found that the total score, objective support, subjective support and utilization of social support were positively related to the patients' QOL and psychological status after liver transplantation.Among the trait coping style factors, active coping style is positively related to QOL and psychological status of the patients and passive coping style is negatively related to them.Among the personality factors, the more the stability, excitability, self-discipline, adaptability, extraversion, sedateness and degree of mental health, the better the QOL and psychological status of the patients.The psychological status of the patients is positively related to patients'QOL after liver transplantation.Conclusion:The psychosocial variables that have significant impact on the QOL and psychological status of liver transplantation patients are age, sex, education, marriage, complications, stresses after liver transplantation, total days in hospital and resume to work, respectively. The better QOL and mental status are also found in those patients who have got higher social support, active coping style and have personality of stability, excitability, self-discipline, adaptability, extraversion, sedateness and healthy mental status.It's equally important to assess the patients' psychological condition and their QOL besides measuring their physical index. Doctors can apply further clinical psychological therapy according to the identified related factors.