Evolution of Anxious-Depressive Symptomatology in Liver and Kidney Transplant Recipients: Hospitalization and 12-Month Post-Transplantation Phases

Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to compare the evolution (hospitalization in the transplantation unit and at 12 months post-transplantation) of anxious and depressive symptomatology in cadaveric transplant recipients as a function of type of organ implanted (liver or kidney). Methods Using a 2 × 2 mixed factorial design, 2 groups were selected: 34 liver transplant recipients and 41 kidney transplant recipients. Both groups were assessed in 2 phases: (1) in the transplantation unit after discharge from the intensive care unit; and (2) 12 months after discharge from the hospital following implantation surgery. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Scale for the Assessment of Social Support were administered. A mixed analysis of covariance was used to assess the influence on transplant recipients' anxious-depressive symptomatology of 2 independent factors: phase (hospitalization in the transplantation unit and at 12 months post-transplantation) and organ (liver and kidney). Perceived social support and age were included as covariates in the analyses. We also calculated d and w as effect size indexes. Results Interactive effects of the factors phase and organ were found in the variable anxiety ( P = .005). Specifically, the following simple effects were significant: (1) kidney transplant recipients presented more anxious symptomatology while hospitalized in the transplantation unit than at 12 months post-transplantation ( P = .001; d = 0.52; medium effect size); and (2) kidney transplant recipients presented more anxious symptomatology than liver transplant recipients while hospitalized in the transplantation unit ( P = .013; d = −0.59; medium effect size). No statistically significant effect was obtained for the variable depression. Conclusion Worse mental health (anxious symptoms) was associated with kidney transplant recipients but not with liver recipients while recovering from the implantation surgery in the transplantation unit.