Organ transplants in children and adolescents: social, emotional and psychopathological problems

Organ transplantation has become the treatment of choice for a number of life-threatening childhood illnesses. Our review of the literature on the psychiatric aspects of organ transplantation in children and adolescents suggests that transplant programs routinely use psychosocial evaluations as a component of their assessment and to screen transplant recipients. This study explores 5 psychiatric issues raised by paediatric transplantation: 1) the role of family; 2) children's and adolescents' perception of illness; 3) pretransplant evaluation of a child's psychological state and environment; 4) the wait; 5) long-term effects. We conclude with recommendations for further research and the development of standardized assessment designed for the pediatric population.