PTSD in solid organ transplant recipients: Current understanding and future implications

PTSS are quite prevalent in transplant recipients, although full-scale PTSD may not be that common. Those symptoms have been linked to poor transplant outcomes, perhaps owing to non-adherence to medications and other recommendations, brought about by the avoidance dimension of the PTSD/PTSS construct (patients may avoid taking their medications because they serve as reminder of the emotionally traumatic event--the transplant). It is possible to treat PTSD via specific psychotherapeutic techniques, and the treatment has been shown to be safe and likely effective in other populations. Therefore, practitioners who treat transplant recipients should be familiar with the presentation and treatment of those symptoms. This manuscript provides a systematic literature review of the PTSD/PTSS presentation in the pediatric transplant setting, a synthesis of available research findings, and suggestions for current care and future research.