Anxiety and Depression among Families of Deceased Donors in China

The bereavement experiences of families of potential organ donors: a qualitative longitudinal case study illuminating opportunities for family care

OBJECTIVES

To illuminate opportunities for care in the context of deceased organ donation by exploring pre-existing family and healthcare professional characteristics, in-hospital experiences, and ongoing adjustment through the lenses of grief theory, systems theory, meaning-making, narrative, and organ donation literature.

METHOD

Qualitative longitudinal case studies explored individual and family change in five Australian families who had consented to Donation after Circulatory Determination of Death at a single centre. Participants attended semi-structured interviews at four, eight, and twelve months after the death.

FINDINGS

Family values, pre-existing relationships, and in-hospital experiences influenced first responses to their changed lives, understanding of the patient's death, and ongoing family adjustment. Novel behaviour that was conguent with family values was required at the hospital, especially if the patient had previously played a key role in family decision-making. This behaviour and emerging interactional patterns were drawn into family life over the first year of their bereavement.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Training that includes lenses introduced in this study will enable healthcare professionals to confidently respond to individual and family psychosocial needs.

CONCLUSION

The lenses of grief theory and systems thinking highlight opportunities for care tailored to the unique in-hospital context and needs that emerge in the months that follow.

A mixed-methods study of emotional support for families of organ donors in Hunan Province, China

Background

Family consent is a prerequisite for the organ donation of the deceased in China. However, a large number of donors are individuals who died due to accidental injuries or unanticipated diseases, which means that most of the families of such donors have just experienced the sudden death of their loved one and have to make a donation decision in a short time. This decision may cause psychological stress and some psychological damage to the minds of relatives of the donors. In addition, cultural sensitivity also has largely caused the relatives of donors inner conflicts and contradictions. And sometimes organ donation may still be stigmatized. However, have they received any emotional support and what is their emotional support needs are some questions that need to be answered. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the emotional support, influencing factors, and needs of the family members of organ donors in Hunan Province, China.

Materials and methods

This is mixed-methods research that combines quantitative and qualitative research methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 102 donor families using a questionnaire to investigate their emotional support status. To further understand their emotional support needs, 12 donor families participated in the semi-structured interview.

Results

The results confirmed that: (1) A total of 67.7% of the 102 respondents received emotional support or psychological comfort. Thus, only a small number of respondents (31.4%) felt respected by the public. (2) Emotional support came mainly from immediate family members (73.91%), and official organizations such as the Red Cross (43.48%). (3) Marital status, health status, occupation, and coping style can affect the emotional support of the donor families (p < 0.05). (4) Interview showed that the families of donors need emotional support and psychological aid from psychological professionals mostly. And they also wish to receive the understanding and respect of the public.

Conclusion

Most families of organ donors received emotional support from family, Red Cross, and friends, but only a minority of families of donors reported receiving respect from the public after the donation. And families of donor showed a strong need for emotional support and professional psychological aid from institutions.

Social Support of Organ Donor Families in China: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study

Background: Donor families experienced a difficult time during and after the process of organ donation. There is a necessity to understand the support they received and what they need to help them get through a painful time. This study aimed to investigate the social support level and social support needs of the donor families in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 102 donor families using a questionnaire to investigate their demographics and social support level. To further understand their social support needs, in-depth interviews were conducted among 9 donor families. Results: Findings of the study showed that (1) Most of the family members (74, 72.6%) lacked social support, and only a small number of families (28, 27.5%) received sufficient social support (2). The coping style had an impact on the overall social support level (P = 0.014) (3). There was a lack of emotional support, information support and material support toward the donor's family members. Both emotional support and material support are significantly needed. Conclusions: The overall social support level remained insufficient and the utilization degree of social support was low. Organ donor families are in desperate need of material and emotional support. The level of social support is largely influenced by the donor familie's coping style. Compared with a negative coping style, donor families who adopted a positive coping style acquire more social support.

Qualitative Study on the Influencing Factors and Countermeasures Against Job Burnout Among Organ Donation Coordinators

Background: Most organ donation coordinators suffer varying degrees of anxiety, depression and poor sleep caused by constant work pressure, and their professional identity is only at a medium level. All of this leads to a great risk of job burnout.

Objective: To identify the influencing factors of and effective countermeasures against job burnout among organ donation coordinators.

Method: Semistructured interviews were used for data collection. In-person or phone interviews were conducted from December 2017 to June 2018.

Results: 12 organ donation coordinators who came from 7 different provinces and cities in China were interviewed. The interview data were sorted, and relevant topics were extracted and summarized in terms of two aspects, namely, factors that influenced job burnout in organ donation coordinators and effective countermeasures for dealing with job burnout.

Conclusion: Factors influencing job burnout among organ donation coordinators include personal factors, job responsibilities, salary and benefit factors, and donor family factors. Measures to help organ donation coordinators effectively address burnout include self-regulation, social support, and positive events.