Published online Oct 28, 2021. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i40.6967
Peer-review started: July 6, 2021
First decision: August 7, 2021
Revised: August 15, 2021
Accepted: October 11, 2021
Article in press: September 30, 2021
Published online: October 28, 2021
Depression, anxiety, and status of self-care ability are among the most important factors affecting the quality of life of patients who have undergone liver transplantation. Depending on the severity of the underlying liver disease, signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression may become more pronounced.
Depression, anxiety, and deficiency in self-care ability are among the most important factors affecting the quality of life of liver transplant recipients. This descriptive, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study shows that presence of biliary complications and hepatocellular carcinoma, low monthly income level, and monthly visits to the outpatient clinic are factors that are found to affect self-care capability, depression, and anxiety.
The main objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, presence of biliary complications, presence of hepatocellular carcinoma, preference of recommendation of liver transplantation to others, and frequency of out-patient clinic control, and some post-transplant quality of life indicators (depression, anxiety, self-care ability).
This study is descriptive, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study on patients transplanted between 2002 and 2018 at our Liver Transplant Institute. The recipients who were discharged that were equal to or greater than 18-years-old and who can communicate verbally and understand and answer the questions were included in the present study. We interviewed 320 liver transplant recipients in the present study considering the proportion of the recipients with missing data. Of those, 316 recipients who answered the questionnaire forms accurately were included in the present study. The dependent variables were Beck Depression Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Scale (Form I and II) and Self-Care Agency Scale. The independent variables of the study were sociodemographic characteristics, biliary complications, hepatocellular carcinoma, recommending liver transplantation to other patients, and the interval of out-patient clinic visits.
Self-care ability scores were lower and anxiety scores were higher in recipients with biliary complications. On the other hand, in recipients with hepatocellular carcinoma, self-care scores were lower and depression and anxiety scores were higher. In liver transplantation recipients with a monthly income < 3000 Turkish liras had higher depression and anxiety scores. The recipients who stated that they would not recommend liver transplantation to others had lower self-care scores and higher depression, state anxiety, and trait anxiety scores.
Presence of biliary complications and hepatocellular carcinoma, low income level, and an obligation monthly visits to the outpatient clinic are factors that are found to affect self-care capability, depression and anxiety.
To our knowledge, this study is one of the most comprehensive studies examining the relationships between post liver transplant quality of life indicators and various clinical parameters.