The Sources of Stress in Renal Transplant Patients

Renal transplant is the best treatment of choice for patients with end-stage renal disease (1). Annually, about 17000 patients receive deceased or living donor transplants, which help them promote health and self-efficacy (1-2). However, despite advances in transplant technology, patients face a number of post-operative challenges, which might lead to stress in patients, including uncertainty about future health, costs and finances, side effects of medicinal treatment and medical follow-up; these factors might lead to low quality of life (3). Previous studies demonstrated differences in transplant-related stressors. According to study by Veroux (2010), these stressors are perceived physical appearance, issues related to sexuality, anxiety, and even feeling guilt (4). Gill (2012) stated that concern over transplant outcome is another stressor for patients even years after transplantation (5). Another study suggested that uncertainty about future and concern over the impact of transplant on physical and physiological health are the main stressors among patients. These stresses continue several years after transplant and lead to fear of graft rejection and hopelessness (6). Several studies were conducted on the effects of stress on renal transplant outcome (5-10) based on which it is necessary for nursing staff to consider stress-generating factors to provide appropriate care for renal transplant patients and as a result, promote nursing clinical performance (7). Culture and politics of care can affect type of stress; however, there is a scarcity of reports on this issue regarding renal transplant in Iran.Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the source of stress in renal transplant patients.