Psychosocial Issues in Pediatric Organ Transplantation: The Parents' Perspective

The process of organ transplantation for a child has a profound impact on the entire family. Parents are faced with a number of psychosocial stresses many of which are unique in a pediatric hospital setting. We report the information provided by parents who have participated in a support group established for those with children undergoing heart and liver transplantation. Descriptive information gathered throughout the past 4 years in this group suggests that there are three specific stages that these families must endure: preoperative, perioperative, and long-term postoperative. The major psychosocial obstacles for families at each stage of the transplant process are described in detail. This information provides the health care professional with a basic framework to understand and provide guidance to the families of transplant patients.