Living kidney donation presents significant psychological and interpersonal challenges for both donors and recipients, extending beyond the medical outcomes of transplantation. This study examines relationship dynamics, attachment patterns, psychological adjustment, coping mechanisms, and transplant-specific experiences among living kidney donors and recipients. Drawing on a psychodiagnostic follow-up study conducted at the University Hospital Innsbruck, data from 46 participants (22 donors and 24 recipients) were analyzed using standardized psychometric instruments, including the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire (ECR-RD), Essen Coping Questionnaire (EFK), Transplant Effect Questionnaire (TxEQ), and Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29). Where feasible, postoperative findings were compared with previously collected preoperative data.
The findings revealed no significant differences in attachment-related anxiety between donors and recipients, with both groups generally demonstrating secure attachment patterns. However, recipients exhibited significantly higher attachment-related avoidance and substantially greater feelings of guilt than donors. No significant association between attachment-related anxiety and depressive coping was identified among recipients, while measures of sense of coherence and manageability showed no significant differences between the groups. The limited sample size and restricted comparability of preoperative and postoperative data constrain the generalizability of these findings.
Overall, the study highlights the importance of considering relational and psychological dimensions alongside medical outcomes in living kidney transplantation. The findings support the value of differentiated psychosocial assessment, counseling, and postoperative foll
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- Manuela Jerković-Köll (Author), 2013, Relationship Dynamics, Partnership-Based Attachment, Depression and Anxiety as Clinical Parameters and Transplant-Specific Effects of Living Kidney Donors and Recipients, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1785721