Psychiatric and psychosocial challenges in patients undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplants

Haematological malignancies are often treated with haematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT). The disease and its treatment are challenging and life threatening, as they not only affect the recipients, but also their families. This review highlights the available data on the psychological, psychiatric and social impact of these illnesses and their treatment on recipients and families. There are robust data that correlate HSCT with emotional distress, as emotional and physical functioning significantly affect quality of life. Psychiatric co-morbidity including anxiety, depression, adjustment and post-traumatic stress disorder, delirium and cognitive deficits have been reported at different stages in the transplant process. This review will highlight the psychosocial and clinical research findings relevant to HSCT patients and will summarize recommendations for future psychosocial research in this population.