Renal transplantation in children: a psychological survey

Psychological tests were carried out on 24 children with renal disease during the time they were hemodialyzed and after a minimum of one year after their transplant. These investigations included regular interviews with children and families, drawings and their commentaries, and projective techniques: Rohrschach tests. The results of these investigations indicated that the psychological status of the transplanted child could not be singled out and isolated from the effects of being ill, the different therapeutic procedures, and the personal history. Beyond the appearance adolescents give of a satisfactory social adjustment and beyond the explosion of vitality frequent amongst younger children, an impoverishment of their personality and major difficulties manifest themselves in coping with personal problems and identity crises especialy as far as agressiveness and sexuality are concerned. This neurotic mechanism appears mainly due to the traumatic experiences these children have experienced and their lack of support in mastering them through the verbalization process.