Beyond Survival: Unveiling Psychological and Social Adaptation After Visceral Transplantation.
Anna Brantmark, Anna Forsberg, Annette Lennerling and 2 others
PMID 39861944WHAT IT FOUND
Patients after visceral transplantation described adaptation as moving between coherence, with trust and meaning, and endurance, with doubt, isolation and resignation.
Fatigue, sleep problems and joint and muscle pain were the most distressing symptom domains. Anxiety scores were elevated in 6 of 17.
Key findings
01Adaptation after visceral transplantation was described as two dynamic trajectories, coherence and endurance, rather than one stable outcome.
02The highest symptom distress was in fatigue, sleep problems and joint and muscle pain, and 35.3% had elevated anxiety scores.
03Better transplant-specific well-being was tentatively associated with stronger self-efficacy and lower depression and anxiety in this very small group.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 17 patients completed questionnaires and 12 were interviewed, so quantitative subgroup findings and correlations are tentative. All participants were adults from one centre in Sweden who had multivisceral grafts, so results may not apply to other transplant types, ages or countries. The study was cross-sectional, not a test of treatment, so it cannot show what causes adaptation or whether symptom management improves outcomes. Qualitative analysis was subjective, and the interviewer's clinical pre-understanding could have influenced interpretation despite reflexivity efforts. Self-reported symptoms and anxiety or depression scores may not reflect clinical diagnoses or observed function.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The supplied publication type lists non-U.S. government research support, but no specific funder is named in the article text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the correlations between symptom distress, anxiety and self-efficacy as evidence that treating symptoms will improve mental well-being. The study was small, cross-sectional and did not test an intervention.