[Psychiatric problems in organ transplants: examples on the renal transplants from living relatives in Japan]

There has been an increase of the renal transplants from living relatives, making over 80% of all renal transplants thus leaving under 17% of them from cadaveric. As for living donors, anxiety and fear of physical vulnerability, possible complications/disabilities, and death/dying, triggered by the hospitalization; a sense of guilt and/or self-blame, or seeking for rewards/compensation, triggered by the transplant; and introjection, probiosis, regression, often presented post transplant. Depression is one of the significant problems among donors after failed transplant, but also even after successful renal transplant. It is called "paradoxical depression". As for recipients, anxiety, guilt feeling, anger are very common psychological issues before the operation. There are number of young adults who present marked anger and short temper, aggression and acting-out behavior as their defense mechanisms.