Psychological Distress and Its Association With Quality of Life in Organ Transplant Recipients During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have an impact on the psychological distress of organ transplant recipients. We aimed to assess the status of psychological distress and its association with quality of life (QoL) in organ transplant recipients during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 305 organ transplant recipients during March 30 and April 2, 2020, in Wuhan. Psychological distress comprised depression, anxiety, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire, the Insomnia Severity Index, and Impact of event scale-revised. QoL was assessed using the Chinese version of the short Form 36-item health survey.Results: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD in organ transplant recipients was 13.4, 6.9, 11.8, and 30.5%, respectively. Organ transplant recipients with depression had significantly lower scores in all eight dimensions of QoL compared with participants without depression (all p < 0.05). Lower scores on the QoL dimensions of role physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, role emotional, and mental health were found in organ transplant recipients with anxiety, insomnia, or PTSD compared with their counterparts without the respective disorder (all p < 0.05).Limitation: The cross-sectional study design limited us to make causal conclusion and the influence of potential confounders cannot be ruled out.Conclusions: Psychological distress was prevalent in organ transplant recipients during the COVID-19 pandemic, and those with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD had poorer QoL. Therefore, timely psychological counseling, COVID-19 related health education, and essential community medical services should be provided to organ transplant recipients to relieve their psychological distress, and to improve their QoL.

The relationship between health behaviors and quality of life: the mediating roles of activities of daily living and psychological distress

“…Psychological distress has a significant direct effect on the QOL of older adult individuals. This conclusion is consistent with previous research ( 50 ). Psychological distress should be taken seriously as a risk factor affecting the QOL of older adult individuals.…”

Impact of a Public Health Emergency on Behavior, Stress, Anxiety and Glycemic Control in Patients With Pancreas or Islet Transplantation for Type 1 Diabetes

“…Furthermore, we found high rates of stress and anxiety in this vulnerable patient group. This is in line with previous studies that have also described extensive psychological influences of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures in both patients with type 1 diabetes, and (solid) organ transplant recipients [4,5,10,[36][37][38][39][40].…”

Stressors and Information-Seeking by Dialysis and Transplant Patients During COVID-19, Reported on a Telephone Hotline: A Mixed-Methods Study

“… 7 Another study conducted with organ recipients in China between March – April 2020 found that 30.5% of participants struggled with PTSD and 13.4% with depression. 8 This study found that transplant recipients with depression scored significantly lower on all areas of a Quality of Life Questionnaire, with reports of worsened physical health, pain, vitality, and emotional state. To truly understand patients’ lived experience during a global pandemic, we created the COVID-19 Kidney and Transplant Listening and Resource Center (KTLRC), a telephone hotline to learn, in real-time, about the specific challenges and stressors that dialysis and transplant patients were facing and to disseminate transplant-related education about COVID-19, including mental health resources.…”