Location
University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia
Document Type
Poster
Description
Chronic diseases not only account for rapidly deteriorating health of patients, but are also accompanied by massive emotional, cognitive, and lifestyle changes (Schulz & Kroencke, 2015). When such conditions worsen, leading to end-stage organ disease, organ transplant is often seen as the most viable treatment. Organ transplant recipients often witness positive changes in their health and lifestyle post-transplant. However, these positive changes do not always translate to psychological well being (Rainer & Thompson, 2010). Research suggests that a significant portion of organ recipients suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress due to a variety of stressors like medical risks, lower quality of life with strict medical regimen, and intrapersonal feelings such as guilt and unforgiveness. Such negative psychological factors further aggravate the health outcomes of transplant patients (Engle, 2001; Schulz & Kroencke, 2015). Thus, focusing on positive psychological interventions can possibly help alleviate the psychological challenges faced by organ recipients. In particular, hope has been found to serve as a buffer against negative and stressful life events (Duggal, Sacks-Zimmerman & Liberta, 2016; Látos et al., 2015).This exploratory research project aims to understand the ways in which positive psychological traits are connected to patients’ ability to cope with a chronic illness and to better understand if hope impacts transplant recipients’ quality of life.
Included in
The Role of Hope on Transplant Patients' Quality of Life
University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia
Chronic diseases not only account for rapidly deteriorating health of patients, but are also accompanied by massive emotional, cognitive, and lifestyle changes (Schulz & Kroencke, 2015). When such conditions worsen, leading to end-stage organ disease, organ transplant is often seen as the most viable treatment. Organ transplant recipients often witness positive changes in their health and lifestyle post-transplant. However, these positive changes do not always translate to psychological well being (Rainer & Thompson, 2010). Research suggests that a significant portion of organ recipients suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress due to a variety of stressors like medical risks, lower quality of life with strict medical regimen, and intrapersonal feelings such as guilt and unforgiveness. Such negative psychological factors further aggravate the health outcomes of transplant patients (Engle, 2001; Schulz & Kroencke, 2015). Thus, focusing on positive psychological interventions can possibly help alleviate the psychological challenges faced by organ recipients. In particular, hope has been found to serve as a buffer against negative and stressful life events (Duggal, Sacks-Zimmerman & Liberta, 2016; Látos et al., 2015).This exploratory research project aims to understand the ways in which positive psychological traits are connected to patients’ ability to cope with a chronic illness and to better understand if hope impacts transplant recipients’ quality of life.
Comments
Department: Psychology Department
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Camilla Nonterah