Psychosocial assessment and its association with mortality in kidney transplant candidates

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the association between the Global Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates Transplant score and survival in deceased donor kidney transplant candidates. A longitudinal cohort design was employed. The 142 candidates recruited were registered on the waiting list for deceased donor kidney transplants at a transplant center. Initially, candidates who enrolled in this study in 2016 were divided into high- and low-risk psychosocial cohorts, based on their Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates Transplant score, with a cut-off of 3 points. In 2022, the mortality rate was compared according to whether the initial Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates Transplant score was < 3 or >= 3 points. This study included data from 139 deceased donor kidney transplant candidates. An initial Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates Transplant score of < 3 was associated with higher mortality five years after being on the waiting list (hazard ratio = 2.39, p = .031). A high-risk status for psychosocial problems according to the Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates Transplant score predicted a significantly lower five-year survival for candidates on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney transplant. Therefore, the psychosocial status of candidates on the waitlist for kidney transplantation should be regularly screened and systematically managed to improve their psychosocial status and make them more suitable candidates for transplant surgery. A psychosocial intervention should be developed to improve these patients' psychosocial status and promote positive health outcomes after kidney transplantation.