The Psychological Experiences of Liver Transplant Recipients: A Qualitative Study

Liver transplant is a unique and rare experience through which an individual gets a second chance to live. Awareness of liver transplant recipients’ experiences can improve our understanding of their needs and the quality of their care.
To assess the psychological experiences of liver transplant recipients.
In this qualitative phenomenological study, liver transplant recipients were purposefully selected from Afzalipour Hospital, Kerman, Iran. Data were collected through unstructured in-depth interviews with eight patients. The Colaizzi’s method was used for data analysis.
Four main themes emerged from data analysis. These themes were impatience, depression, fear, and tendency toward pious deeds.
The psychological problems identified in the studied liver transplant recipients emphasize the necessity of attention to these patients’ not only somatic symptoms, but also psychological needs. Therefore, these patients have to receive psychological counselling both before and after the surgery.