Spouse stressors while awaiting heart transplantation

Area of Science:

• Transplantation Medicine
• Psychosocial Oncology
• Cardiology

Background:

• The psychosocial impact of organ transplantation on family members is a critical area of study.
• Spouses of heart transplantation candidates face unique stressors during the pre-transplant waiting period.
• Understanding these stressors is vital for developing targeted support interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common stressors experienced by spouses of heart transplantation candidates.
• To explore demographic differences in perceived stressors among these spouses.
• To provide preliminary psychometric data for the Spouse Transplant Stressor Scale.

Main Methods:

• A comparative, cross-sectional survey design was employed.
• Eighty-five spouses of heart transplantation candidates completed the Spouse Transplant Stressor Scale and demographic forms.
• Participants were recruited from midwestern and southeastern medical centers and a VA hospital.

Main Results:

• Spouses reported high stress levels during the wait for a donor heart, with transplantation-specific factors being most distressing.
• The primary stressor identified was the fear of the patient dying before a heart became available.
• Working spouses reported more stressors related to responsibility, socioeconomic factors, and self-identity compared to non-working spouses.

Conclusions:

• The pre-transplant waiting period is a highly stressful phase for spouses of heart transplantation candidates.
• Fear of patient mortality is a paramount concern for spouses.
• Demographic factors, such as employment status, can influence the types of stressors experienced by spouses.