[Psychosomatic medicine and transplant patients - what is known and what is needed]

Psychosomatic research has resulted in a huge pool of data concerning the psychic state of transplant patients and their relatives during the course of organ transplantation. It has been possible as well to describe important psychosocial prognostic factors, influencing both somatic and psychosocial outcome after transplantation. The following review article gives an overview of the results that are relevant to daily psychosomatic practice in transplantation medicine. It mainly deals with the problems of transplant patients and their relatives. The special issues of living related organ donation cannot be subject of this review. Finally the article tries to show perspectives for the development of psychosomatic interventions in the treatment of organ transplant patients.