Signing an organ donor card: Psychological factors

Personality factors related to organ donor card signing were explored in a sample of 94 students. Nondonors scored higher on Templer's Death Anxiety Scale, Collett-Lester Fear of Death of Self, Death of Others, and Dying of Self subscales, and a scale of physical anxiety. Donors scored higher on a Likert scale reflecting acceptance of dying and, not surprisingly, on self-efficacy to sign an organ donor card. When regrouped on the basis of whether they believed in donation, those nondonors who believed they should donate were intermediate in self-efficacy between donors and those who had no interest in donating. This nondonor/believer group may be most likely to donate but may be restrained by the anxiety factors noted above. Further efforts should focus on clarifying these issues, so as to increase donation of greatly needed organs.