Mental health and quality of life in liver transplant and cirrhotic patients with various etiologies1

In this study we aimed to: 1) examine whether there were differences in mental health and quality of life of liver transplant recipients according to etiology that led to transplantation (alcoholic cirrhosis, Hepatitis B/C Virus, hepatocellular carcinoma and others); and 2) to compare mental health and quality of life between liver transplant and cirrhotic patients, according to etiologies that most often lead to liver transplantation (alcoholic and Hepatitis C Virus). Two patient groups participated: 168 transplant recipients and 63 cirrhotic patients. Mental health was assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and quality of life by the SF-36 Health Survey. We found the following results: 1) statistically significant differences were found in anxiety, depression, general health, and vitality; in all of them, transplant patients due to Hepatitis C Virus showed the highest impairment and transplant patients due to alcoholic cirrhosis showed the lowest deterioration; 2) cirrhotic patients, compared to transplanted, and patients with Hepatitis C Virus, compared to alcoholic liver patients, were the groups with greater biopsychosocial impairment. In the absence of interactive effects between factors groups and etiology, Hepatitis C Virus patients had higher biopsychosocial impairment than alcoholic liver patients, regardless of whether or not they underwent transplant. 1 This investigation was financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain (Register PSI2009-07713). 2 Correspondence: Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológicos. Facultad de Psicología. Universidad de Sevilla. C/ Camilo José Cela, s/n. 41018 Sevilla (Spain). E-mail: [email protected]