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Positive and negative aspects of mental health after unspecified living kidney donation: A cohort study
Author(s) -
Massey Emma K.,
Pronk Mathilde C.,
Zuidema Willij C.,
Weimar Willem,
Wetering Jacqueline,
Ismail Sohal Y.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
british journal of health psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 2044-8287
pISSN - 1359-107X
DOI - 10.1111/bjhp.12549
Subject(s) - mental health , donation , medicine , population , checklist , psychiatry , symptom checklist 90 , cohort , clinical psychology , psychology , somatization , environmental health , economics , cognitive psychology , economic growth
Objectives Unspecified donors give a kidney to a stranger with end‐stage kidney failure. There has been little research on the long‐term impact of unspecified donation on mental health outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the positive and negative aspects of mental health among unspecified donors. Design We invited all unspecified donors who donated a kidney between 2000 and 2016 at our centre to participate in an interview and to complete validated questionnaires. Methods We measured positive mental health using the Dutch Mental Health Continuum‐Short Form (MHC‐SF), psychological complaints using the Symptoms Checklist‐90 (SCL‐90) and psychiatric diagnoses using the Mini‐International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) Screen for all donors and the M.I.N.I. Plus on indication. Results Of the 134 eligible donors, 114 participated (54% female; median age 66 years), a median of 6 years post‐donation. Scores on emotional and social well‐being subscales of the MHC‐SF were significantly higher than in the general population. Psychological symptoms were comparable to the general population. Thirty‐two per cent of donors had a current or lifetime psychiatric diagnosis. Psychological symptoms did not significantly change between the pre‐donation screening and the post‐donation study. Conclusions We concluded that, with the appropriate screening, unspecified donation is a safe procedure from a psychological perspective.