Investigation of hopelessness, self-care agency and life satisfaction levels in kidney transplant recipients

This study investigated relationships between hopelessness, self-care agency, and life satisfaction among kidney transplant recipients. In this descriptive-correlational study, data were collected from 145 recipients (57.9% male; mean age 42.26 ± 13.19 years) using the Beck Hopelessness, Self-Care Agency, and Satisfaction with Life Scales. Participants exhibited mild hopelessness, good self-care agency, and high life satisfaction. Path analysis confirmed that hopelessness its sub-dimensions significantly predicted lower self-care agency and life satisfaction ( p   <  0.001). Furthermore, specific factors (education/income level, donor type etc.) showed significant associations with scale scores, highlighting targeted impacts of characteristics on well-being. Significant negative correlations were found between life satisfaction and hopelessness ( r  = −0.53, p   <   0.05 ) and between self-care agency and hopelessness ( r  = −0.48, p   <   0.05 ), while life satisfaction and self-care agency correlated positively ( r  = 0.24, p   <   0.05 ). Hopelessness is a critical negative predictor of behavioral and emotional adaptation. Psychosocial support and nurse-led interventions are essential to minimize hopelessness and enhance post-transplantation coping skills.