J Pediatr Nurs. 2024 Jan 11:S0882-5963(23)00401-3. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2023.12.033. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIM: This study aimed to determine psychosocial conditions, post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety of children who underwent a liver transplant.

METHOD: This is a relational descriptive study, which was conducted between March 2019 and December 2020 in the Inonu University Liver Transplantation Institute Pediatric Liver Transplant Clinic. The “Child Information Form,” “Child Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction Index,” “State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children-Trait Form,” and “Children’s Depression Inventory” were used to collect data. The study was conducted with 71 children who had a previous liver transplant.

RESULTS: Of the participating children, 56.3% were girls, 63.4% continued their primary school education after the transplant, 32.5% were diagnosed with cirrhosis, 39.4% received the transplant in 2017, 32.4% received it from the mother, and 25.4% received it from a cadaveric donor. Although it had been at least 3 years since the transplant, 47.9% exhibited moderate and 43.7% severe post-traumatic stress responses. There was a significant negative relationship between the age of children with a liver transplant and trait anxiety and post-traumatic stress responses (path coefficients β = -0.268, p = 0.002; β = -0.166, p = 0.023, respectively). There was a significant positive relationship between anxiety and post-traumatic stress responses of the children after the transplant and there was a statistically significant relationship between the path coefficients (β = 0.750; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Children who underwent a liver transplant had post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and trait anxiety.

PMID:38216348 | DOI:10.1016/j.pedn.2023.12.033