Psychosocial Adjustment after Kidney Transplantation

Yi, Myungsun

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and describe the essence and the structure of lived experience of people with kidney transplantation. Initially, nine individual interviews were conducted to gather data regarding their subjective experiences. And two focus group interviews were utilized to validate or discard the themes that were emerged from the analysis using Colaizzi's method. Among 17 participants, 13 had living related kidney donations, one living unrelated, and the remaining two cadavor donations. About 130 significant statements were extracted and these were clustered into 11 themes. All participants felt anxiety and fear toward the rejection of transplantation and the complication of immunosuppressive drugs. Although they were initially satisfied with their life after kidney transplantation most of them lost a self-confidence and experienced loneliness, depression, and despair. Most of the participants also felt guilty for not being able to accomplish their appropriate roles in the family. They also had financial difficulties and social restrictions. However, they overcame these psychosocial distress by exercising, working and sharing love with others. They also could overcome it by living a religious life and by working to help others with kidney transplantations. Most of them felt gratitude toward the donor and did not have a psychological rejection toward the kidney transplanted. The results of the study might help nurses who work with people with kidney transplantations in establishing and implementing an effective nursing intervention by understanding their lived experience.