Donating organs: a theory-driven inventory of motives

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Bioethics
• Psychology

Background:

• Organ donation is a critical medical procedure with significant societal implications.
• Patient motivations for organ donation are complex and multifaceted.
• Understanding these motivations is crucial for improving organ procurement rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the underlying motives for accepting or refusing organ donation post-mortem.
• To explore the relationship between these motives, demographic factors, personality traits, and donor card registration.
• To identify key drivers and barriers influencing individuals' decisions regarding organ donation.

Main Methods:

• The study employed a quantitative approach, analyzing data from two separate investigations.
• Motivations for donation and non-donation were systematically identified and categorized.
• Statistical analyses were used to examine correlations between motives, demographics, personality, and donor card status.

Main Results:

• Six primary motives for organ donation were identified: Financial Incentive, Humanistic/Religious Duty, Positive Consideration from Others, Living on Through a Receiver, Gift of Life, and Close Others.
• Five motives for non-donation emerged: Preserving Corpus Integrity, Strict Individualism, Lack of Control, Anonymity, and Respecting Family Wishes.
• Willingness to sign a donor card was associated with being female, lower scores on Corpus Integrity, and higher scores on Duty and Gift of Life. High scores on Corpus Integrity negated the influence of other factors.

Conclusions:

• The concept of 'Integrity of the Corpus' emerged as a highly influential, protected value in organ donation decisions.
• Ethical considerations surrounding the sanctity of the body post-mortem significantly shape attitudes towards organ donation.
• Interventions aimed at increasing organ donation must acknowledge and navigate deeply held beliefs about bodily integrity.