Stress and quality of life in the renal transplant patient: a preliminary investigation

End‐stage renal disease is a chronic condition which reduces the life‐span of its victims. At present there is no cure. Renal transplantation, currently the treatment of choice for many patients, is potentially associated with a number of drawbacks: constant risk of rejection, especially during the first six months, the need to comply with a complex regime of medication capable of producing pronounced side‐effects and the need for ongoing medical supervision. Despite these problems, little research has been undertaken with patients following renal transplantation. The aim of the small‐scale, exploratory study reported here was to explore patients’perceptions of stress and quality of life at different stages following a first, functioning renal graft: within six months, between one and five years and over five years later (n = 10 in each group). From the results it became apparent that patients had a number of concerns, of which fear of rejection was the most frequently mentioned, followed by stress generated through altered body image (a product of immunosuppressive therapy). Nevertheless, all reported a significant increase in quality of life after transplantation, although improvement was least marked in patients in the intermediate group (1–5 years after surgery) who also experienced most stress. A larger scale study is recommended to increase the validity of findings which clinicians could then use to design patient interventions to enhance quality of care and quality of life.