A Contemporary Analysis of Mental Well-being Among Living Donor Kidney Applicants
Swee-Ling Levea, Jai G. Prasadh, Benjamin K. Wang, Juan D. Salcedo-Betancourt, Lauren Matevish, Jorge Sanchez Vivaldi, Sarah R. Lieber, Jigesh A. Shah, Christine S. Hwang, David Wojciechowski, Parsia A. Vagefi, Madhukar S. PatelBackground.
Living donation is paramount for expanding the donor pool. The aim of this study was to assess changes over time in self-reported mental health of living donor kidney applicants in efforts to inform patient-centered discussions with potential donors.
Methods.
Kidney donor applications from 2017 through 2021 were compiled. Data included age, gender, race, ethnicity, applicant–recipient relationship, medical history, and medications. Trends over time were analyzed and post hoc analyses were performed.
Results.
During the study period, 2479 applicants to the living donor kidney program were evaluated; 73% of applicants were female individuals. More than half of applicants were not related to their intended recipient; this fraction increased from 46% in 2017 to 58% in 2021 (
Conclusions.
The profile of living donor applicants has changed in recent years, with approximately 1 in 5 requiring antidepressants or anxiolytics. Predonation counseling and postdonation monitoring are imperative to decrease adverse psychological outcomes for living donors.