The Psychosocial Adjustment of Kidney Recipients in Canada's Kidney Paired Donation Program.
Sophia Bourkas, Marie Achille
PMID 34873986WHAT IT FOUND
Eight kidney paired donation recipients described guilt and worry about known donors, alongside gratitude, and ambivalence about anonymous donors.
Transplant nurses should ask about known donor feelings and anonymous donor contact.
Key findings
01Of the seven participants with a known donor, six reported guilt, indebtedness, and worries about the donor, and six reported an increased connection with them.
02Participants balanced trying to feel close to the anonymous donor with keeping them at a distance.
03Participants described KPD as a series of ups and downs, and the most common coping strategies were trusting relationships with the medical team and family support.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only eight recipients, so the themes describe this group's accounts rather than all kidney paired donation recipients. Participants may have been more likely to take part if they had a positive experience or a well-functioning transplant. Interviews took place 23 to 58 months after surgery, so recall may have shaped responses. The sample was older and more often female than the usual Canadian kidney paired donation recipient group, with mean age 63.35 years versus average age 48 years and 75% female versus half female. The design aimed for depth rather than general claims, so results should not be read as representative.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The work was supported by a doctoral research scholarship from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec, Société et Culture.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as showing that kidney paired donation causes more guilt or worse adjustment than direct living donation. The study interviewed eight recipients and did not compare groups or test outcomes.