Association between spontaneous peer support experience and psychosocial factors among heart transplant recipients

Peer support in heart transplantation (HTX) remains underexplored.

We investigated recipients' experiences with peer support and its associations with quality of life, health literacy (BRIEF), medication adherence, depressive symptoms (BDI-H) and alcohol consumption (AUDIT).

Participants (n = 201, 152 male) evaluated whether they received peer support across four phases of transplant journey: pre-waiting list, waiting list, intensive care unit and first post-transplant year (FY). Support was rated as positive, negative, not received but requested, or not received and not requested. Peer support was significantly more frequent after transplantation than before (75% vs. 48%, p < 0.001). A notable proportion did not receive support despite wishing for it (19.9 -7%). Most participants reported peer support as highly beneficial, and no negative experiences were reported. No psychosocial differences were observed between supported and unsupported recipients pre-HTX.Those receiving support in the FY had higher education attainment. Individuals who would have requested support showed the lowest BRIEF, the highest BDI-H and AUDIT scores. Regression analyses revealed no predictive effects of peer support.

Overall, peer support is common and positively perceived among HTX recipients. However, individuals with unmet support needs during the first post-transplant year may represent a vulnerable subgroup, underscoring the need for more structured peer support interventions.