Adaptation of Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient Long-Term Survivors

Although there is a small literature on psychosocial and psychiatric aspects of bone marrow transplants (BMT) in adult recipients during the BMT hospitalization phase, adaptation of long-term adult BMT recipient survivors has received little study. This study surveyed the adaptation of BMT recipient survivors over age 17 who were an average of 42 months posttransplant. Study variables included the recipients' current self-reported health status, mood state, social role function, self esteem, life satisfaction, and relationships with their BMT donors and other family members. A companion study of those who donated BMT to the recipients eligible for this study was also performed. The study participants were preponderantly young adults who currently were in an intimate relationship and vocationally active. About 1/4 of the subjects reported ongoing medical problems. Also, 15-25% reported significant emotional distress, low self-esteem, and less-than-optimal life satisfaction. The subjects' current quality of relationship with their donors was highly correlated with many measures of their psychosocial status. The findings indicate that about 75% of BMT recipient long-term survivors are doing well from a psychosocial as well as a medical standpoint, that the recipient-donor relationship may be sensitive to any changes in the recipient's status, and that 15-20% of BMT recipient survivors report a degree of psychological distress that might benefit from specific psychological/psychiatric intervention.