Emotional affect in heart transplant candidates: a multicenter longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cardiology
• Transplantation Medicine

Background:

• Emotional affect, categorized as positive (PA) and negative (NA), is a key aspect of an individual's emotional state.
• Understanding affect in heart transplant candidates is crucial for assessing psychological well-being and clinical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize emotional affect in adult heart transplant candidates.
• To evaluate the relationship between affect and pre- and post-transplant psychological and clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) was administered to 194 heart transplant candidates at baseline, annually, and post-transplant.
• Positive Affect (PA), Negative Affect (NA), and the positivity ratio (PR; PA/NA) were assessed as predictors.
• Outcomes included waitlist mortality, length of stay, readmissions, and quality of life.

Main Results:

• Baseline PA and NA were comparable to population norms and remained stable.
• The positivity ratio (PR) was low at baseline and significantly decreased post-transplant (p=0.03).
• Pre-transplant PANAS scores correlated with post-transplant quality of life domains, but affect was not linked to mortality or hospitalizations.

Conclusions:

• Heart transplant candidates exhibit a suboptimal and declining PR post-transplant, indicating significant psychological stress.
• Pre-transplant emotional state, measured by PANAS, is a predictor of post-transplant quality of life.
• Psychological screening and interventions may be beneficial in heart transplant care.