Waiting for a kidney transplant, a source of unavoidable but reversible anxiety: a prospective pilot study investigating a psychological intervention

Background Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease. Psychological problems and the presence of high anxiety have been described at various times over the course of transplantation, starting early at inclusion on the waiting-list. The objective of this study was to investigate anxiety symptoms among patients waiting for a transplant and the efficacy of a psychological intervention in the management of the anxiety.Methods In this prospective trial, 30 patients waiting for a first kidney transplantation were included. Medico-psycho-sociodemographic data were collected. Anxiety symptoms were assessed at inclusion using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory self-assessment questionnaire for state anxiety (Spielberger and Vagg in Inventaire d'anxiete etat-trait, forme Y (STAI-Y) Paris, 1993). A second assessment was carried out after the psychological intervention, which consisted of three sessions conducted by a clinical psychologist.Results Anxiety scores were considerably higher in females compared to males (47.5 versus 33.0, p < 0.023) and among those who had a psychological treatment history (60 versus 37, p = 0.003). We found a correlation between the level of anxiety and the length of time spent on the waiting-list (r = 0.552, p = 0.002). Importantly, anxiety scores decreased significantly (44 versus 32, p < 0.0001) after the psychological intervention.Conclusion This study suggests that early psychological support allows improving anxiety symptoms in patients wait-listed for a kidney transplant.

Automated summary

This study aims to investigate anxiety symptoms among patients waiting for a kidney transplant and evaluate the efficacy of psychological intervention in anxiety management. The study found that female patients and those with a history of psychological treatment had higher anxiety scores. Importantly, anxiety symptoms significantly improved after the psychological intervention.